The Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) has ordered the permanent removal of a Red Notice issued against Ghana’s former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, after concluding that the alert was largely political in nature and breached INTERPOL’s internal regulations.
In a statement dated Friday, February 13, 2026, counsel for Mr Ofori-Atta, Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo Esq., disclosed that the decision was taken during the CCF’s 135th session held on February 4, 2026.
According to the ruling, the Red Notice “appears to be of a predominantly political character” and therefore contravenes the rules governing the use of INTERPOL’s information systems.
As a result, the CCF directed that the notice be expunged permanently from INTERPOL’s databases.
The commission further found that information submitted by Ghana’s National Central Bureau (NCB) failed to meet the organisation’s data compliance standards and should not have been retained. Under INTERPOL’s Constitution, the organisation is expressly barred from engaging in matters of a political, military, religious, or racial nature.
The CCF functions as an independent oversight body mandated to ensure that all data processed through INTERPOL channels conforms to its rules, including reviews of Red Notices and similar international alerts.
A Red Notice serves as a request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition or related legal action. Although it is not an international arrest warrant, it often carries serious implications for travel, reputation, and international mobility.
Background
Mr Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s Finance Minister from 2017 until early 2024 under the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Following his exit from office, he became the subject of investigations linked to his tenure at the Ministry of Finance.
On June 2, 2025, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, announced that steps had been initiated to secure an INTERPOL Red Notice against Mr Ofori-Atta. The announcement followed his failure, according to the Office, to honour several invitations for questioning in connection with ongoing corruption-related probes by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
With the CCF’s latest decision, Mr Ofori-Atta’s name and details have been fully removed from INTERPOL’s systems, meaning member states are no longer permitted to act on the withdrawn alert.
By: Ekow Annan/newsalertgh.com
