Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has clarified that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta and businessman Ernest Darko Akore were never placed on any security stop list, contrary to public speculation surrounding their departures from Ghana. Speaking on TV3’s Keypoints program on Saturday, November 29, Manasseh emphasized that his earlier publication was based on verified information gathered from multiple security sources rather than opinion or speculation.
The journalist stated that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) never issued a stop list request to prevent either Ofori Atta or Akore, both accused in the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) scandal, from leaving or reentering the country. According to Manasseh, information sourced from the Ghana Immigration Service, National Security, the National Intelligence Bureau and the OSP itself confirms that no stop list request was filed in the previous administration, and none has been filed under the current administration.
Manasseh explained that his concerns began after watching an interview with veteran broadcaster Kwaku Sintim Misa, during which Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng suggested that although the OSP had shown readiness to act in certain corruption related cases, other state institutions were allegedly resisting. This prompted the journalist to conduct his own checks within the security services to verify the claims.
The award winning journalist said he contacted officials to verify whether Ofori Atta had been prevented from travelling during the investigation into the SML case. Security agencies confirmed they watched him leave because he was not on any stop list and they had no lawful grounds to stop him. Further checks revealed that Akore also travelled freely, as security officers confirmed he was likewise not flagged and therefore could not be prevented from travelling.
Manasseh disclosed that he directly asked the OSP whether they had requested assistance from security agencies to restrict these individuals from leaving the country. The Special Prosecutor confirmed they had not made such a request. However, the OSP later referenced an earlier public statement claiming that even if a request had been made, the agencies would not have cooperated during the previous administration. Manasseh challenged this position because it contradicted the facts available to him from security sources.
According to Manasseh’s investigation, Ofori Atta, whose date of birth is November 7, 1959, left Ghana on January 4, 2025, departing from Terminal 3 of Kotoka International Airport on United Airlines Flight 997 to Washington, DC. The former finance minister travelled on a Ghanaian passport containing three valid visas. His United States visa will expire on February 14, 2026, his United Kingdom visa remains valid until April 21, 2032, and his Canadian visa expires on May 31, 2031.
Manasseh also revealed that Akore left the country earlier, on November 19, 2024, on Delta Airlines Flight 156 to New York. He travelled on a ten year United States passport that remains valid until August 4, 2031. The journalist explained that without a stop list directive, border officials cannot legally prevent either individual from entering or exiting the country.
Security agencies rely on official stop list notices before preventing a person of interest from travelling, and such notices are enforceable across airports, land borders and seaports. Ghana Immigration officials have been instructed not to stop travellers unless a formal stop list order exists due to legal liabilities that could arise from wrongful detention or prevention of travel.
Manasseh noted that while Ofori Atta is well known and might be difficult to sneak into Ghana without being spotted and reported to law enforcement agencies, Akore could potentially move through entry points without being flagged since he is less recognizable. The journalist pointed out that without an official stop list request from the OSP, immigration officials have no legal basis to prevent either individual from crossing borders.
The OSP has explained that it relies on airline manifests, which airlines send ahead of flights, so a person of interest can be seen from those lists and arrangements made to stop them even before landing. However, security officials have challenged this explanation, arguing that manifest delays could allow suspects to slip in undetected. They emphasized that formal stop list procedures exist precisely to prevent such gaps in enforcement.
During the previous administration led by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, the OSP stated it did not trust that state institutions would cooperate with such requests, given that Ofori Atta is the former president’s cousin. Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng claimed in his interview with KSM that even though his office saw the former finance minister leave the country, they had no power to stop him because of the political relationship.
However, Manasseh’s investigation found that in the current administration, which the OSP has said is cooperating with its work, the office still has not written to request that Ofori Atta or Akore be placed on a stop list. Sources in security agencies told Manasseh that if either individual sneaks in or out and they are not picked up, their outfits cannot be blamed because the OSP has not asked them to stop anybody, even though the OSP is seeking help from Interpol to arrest Ofori Atta.
On November 18, 2025, the OSP formally charged Ofori Atta and seven others with 78 counts of corruption and corruption related offences. The charges include conspiracy to directly or indirectly influence the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of a contract, among other violations, in the award of a revenue assurance contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and SML.
The other seven individuals charged include Ernest Darko Akore, former Chef de Cabinet to the Minister of Finance; Emmanuel Kofi Nti, former Commissioner General of the GRA; Reverend Doctor Ammishaddai Owusu Amoah, former Commissioner General of the GRA; Isaac Crentsil, former Commissioner of the Customs Division of the GRA and General Manager of SML; Kwadwo Damoah, former Commissioner of the Customs Division of the GRA and current Member of Parliament; and two others whose identities were not immediately disclosed in initial reports.
Manasseh insisted that his publication was meant to present factual clarity rather than accusations. He stated that his report was based on what security institutions themselves confirmed and that the claim these individuals were on a stop list was simply not true. The journalist emphasized that he wanted to help guide public discourse with accurate information, especially given the significant public interest in accountability for those alleged to have misused or looted public funds.
The journalist has promised to address additional questions in subsequent publications, including whether the OSP made any efforts on the SML investigations despite the challenges it cited, or whether it folded its arms and only started a frantic chase after Ofori Atta left the country. Manasseh expressed hope that these facts will help put discussions in perspective as Ghana seeks accountability from those who have allegedly misused public funds and those tasked with state power to seek accountability on behalf of citizens.
The SML case has become one of Ghana’s most closely watched corruption investigations. Manasseh Azure Awuni led the original investigation into the SML contracts and petitioned the OSP after his team’s findings. His investigative work exposed details of revenue assurance contracts that allegedly entitled SML to hundreds of millions of dollars over multiple years without proper regulatory oversight or competitive procurement processes.
The controversy over whether authorities allowed key suspects to leave Ghana before charges were filed has dominated public discussion in recent weeks. Critics have questioned why the OSP did not take more aggressive steps to prevent the departure of individuals who would later face serious criminal charges. The Special Prosecutor’s explanation that his office lacked cooperation from security agencies during the previous administration has now been challenged by Manasseh’s findings that the office never formally requested stop list orders.
Legal experts have noted that stop lists are standard procedures in serious criminal investigations, particularly when suspects might have means and motive to flee the jurisdiction. The absence of such requests in this case, despite months of investigation before charges were filed, has raised questions about the OSP’s prosecution strategy and its relationship with other security and law enforcement agencies.
The OSP has not yet issued an official response to Manasseh’s latest clarifications. The office is expected to proceed with prosecuting the case despite the absence of some key accused persons from Ghana. International cooperation through Interpol and other mechanisms may be necessary to secure the presence of Ofori Atta and Akore for trial proceedings.
