Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has clarified that Ghana cannot request the extradition of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta from the United States until a full docket and legal charges are ready.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series in Accra, Dr. Ayine emphasized that extradition processes, especially with the United States, require a complete legal foundation before any official request can be made.

“When handling extradition, you can’t make a request unless a solid case exists — a docket must be built. With the Americans, you must have already filed charges,” he explained.

Dr. Ayine referenced a past case involving Kojo Boateng, where the U.S. Department of Justice submitted a full bill of indictment after six years of investigation. Only then did Ghana act on the request.

He revealed that the Attorney General’s Office is waiting for the relevant investigative agencies to submit the necessary docket before proceeding.

“Without a docket, we cannot make the request. We’re still waiting for it. That’s all I can say for now,” he stated.

Dr. Ayine also highlighted the independence of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, noting that the Attorney General’s Department cannot start the Ofori-Atta extradition Ghana process with only a letter.

“We need evidence before taking such legal action,” he added.

The clarification comes amid growing public interest in the ongoing investigations surrounding the former Finance Minister. Dr. Ayine assured that once the required documentation and evidence are available, the government will act accordingly.