Martin Kpebu (L) has urged the OSP to freeze assets of Ken Ofori-Atta
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has urged the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to urgently freeze the assets of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta over his alleged involvement in the contract between Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Speaking on TV3’s KeyPoints on November 1, 2025, Kpebu warned that any delay could give the former minister an opportunity to hide or transfer ownership of his properties.
He called on the OSP to move beyond the investigative stage and take legal steps to safeguard state resources and prevent further financial losses.
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“By the end of this month, we should know what the OSP intends to do. He hasn’t indicated whether he will consider a trial in absentia, which some of us have been advocating for,” he said.
Kpebu further warned that he would personally petition for the removal of Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng if swift action is not taken to secure Ken Ofori-Atta’s assets.
“If by the 14th of this month Ofori-Atta has not been brought before court so that his assets can be frozen, I’ll be the first to present a petition for the OSP’s removal,” he said.
He alleged that the former Finance Minister owns investments and properties across multiple sectors, including shares in Enterprise Insurance and Data Bank, as well as various real estate holdings, all of which must be preserved during the ongoing investigation.
“Ofori-Atta has many assets in Ghana, shares, houses, and other businesses. We need to freeze them before they disappear,” he stressed.
Explaining the legal framework, Kpebu noted that the OSP Act (Act 959) grants the Special Prosecutor the authority to temporarily freeze assets, although this power is limited and subject to judicial approval.
“The OSP can freeze assets for only 14 days; after that, he must go to court for an extension. He needs to act fast so we don’t lose everything,” he said.
He criticised what he described as the OSP’s slow approach to the case, saying it risks eroding public confidence in the institution’s fight against corruption.
“He’s been on this case since 2023, and we’re still waiting. This is in the public interest. He must move with urgency and secure freezing orders over all assets,” he stated.
According to Kpebu, the push to seize and secure assets is part of an initiative he calls “Operation Recover All Loot,” aimed at ensuring accountability and retrieving every cedi allegedly lost through the SML–GRA deal.
“We cannot afford to have Ofori-Atta sell his assets or transfer them to others. This is public money, we must recover all of it,” he noted.
Kpebu also criticised aspects of the OSP’s report on the SML–GRA contract, arguing that while it exposed irregularities, it did not go far enough in recommending full recovery of funds.
“The OSP’s report shows clearly that SML did not perform the work and yet got paid. I don’t understand how the report concludes that only GH₵125 million should be recovered. From paragraphs 212 to 215, it is clear that SML was not up to the task. Their equipment wasn’t even functioning,” he explained.
He added that several sections of the report detailed how SML’s flow meters malfunctioned and how the company consistently failed to deliver on its obligations while continuing to receive payments.
“Look at paragraph 215 onward, you’ll see how SML kept lying about their systems working when, in fact, they weren’t. Even when they claimed to have replaced their flow meters, the evidence showed they were still not performing,” he said.
Lawyer Martin Kpebu has threatened to initiate the removal of the Special Prosecutor if he fails to immediately freeze assets related to the terminated SML contract.#TheKeyPoints #TV3GH pic.twitter.com/bQNl201SXc
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) November 1, 2025
“It is possible that Ken Ofori-Atta may be signing contracts to sell off his assets, including Databank, since he has no intention of returning to Ghana.” - Martin Kpebu, Private Legal Practitioner#TheKeyPoints #TV3GH pic.twitter.com/8BvW9cHI6x
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) November 1, 2025
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