The criminal trial of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to resume on Thursday, 27 August 2026, following a Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutional validity of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) Act, 2017 (Act 959).

The OSP announced the date on Monday, 10 August, signalling the resumption of proceedings in corruption cases that had been placed on hold since April.

The Supreme Court’s decision removes a major legal hurdle that had raised questions about the OSP’s authority to investigate and prosecute corruption-related offences.

The suspension followed an earlier High Court decision that questioned aspects of the OSP’s prosecutorial mandate.

Ofori-Atta is facing 28 counts of corruption and corruption-related offences arising from the OSP’s investigation into revenue assurance contracts between Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

He was initially charged together with seven other persons on 78 counts in November 2025.

The charges were subsequently amended, leaving Mr Ofori-Atta facing 28 counts, while the other accused persons face separate charges in connection with the case.

The accused include former GRA Commissioners-General Emmanuel Kofi Nti and Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah; former Customs Commissioners Isaac Crentsil and Kwadwo Damoah; SML Chief Executive Officer Evans Adusei; and Ofori-Atta’s former Chief of Cabinet, Ernest Darko Akore.

The prosecution alleges that the accused were involved in various acts of corruption and corruption-related offences connected with the SML-GRA revenue assurance arrangements.

The case has attracted significant public interest because of the financial implications of the contracts and the roles allegedly played by public officials and private-sector actors.

Ofori-Atta has also secured permanent residency in the United States after a US Immigration Court approved his application for adjustment of status.

His lawyers announced in June that his application for a Green Card had been approved following immigration proceedings concerning his status in the United States.

The development has generated public discussion in Ghana, particularly because the OSP has been pursuing steps linked to his return to Ghana to face the criminal proceedings.

The OSP has rejected suggestions that the US immigration decision amounted to a finding on the merits of the corruption case against Mr Ofori-Atta.

The anti-corruption agency has said it was not a party to the US immigration proceedings and that its involvement in the United States relates to extradition proceedings being pursued through the Attorney-General.

It has also clarified that the extradition documents were not before the US Immigration Court.

The OSP has therefore cautioned against treating findings made in the immigration proceedings as a determination of the credibility of evidence or allegations underpinning the criminal case in Ghana.

With the Supreme Court having upheld the OSP Act, attention now shifts to the substantive proceedings against Mr Ofori-Atta and the other accused persons, with the case scheduled to resume on August 27.