Washington d.c.: A lawyer for Ghana's former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has revealed that his client is pursuing permanent residency in the United States instead of returning to Ghana, where he faces multiple corruption-related charges. Ofori-Atta is currently being held at an immigration detention facility in Virginia after he was arrested by US immigration authorities in January for allegedly overstaying his visa.
According to Ghana Web, the lawyer, Enayat Qasimi, stated that the former minister intends to remain in the United States and pursue legal pathways to residency. Qasimi argued that returning to Ghana could expose Ofori-Atta to an unfair legal process. He emphasized that there are 'serious questions' about the independence of Ghana's judiciary and claimed that Ofori-Atta had been subjected to a 'political witch hunt,' which could compromise the fairness of any trial concerning allegations of financial impropriety during his time in office between 2017 and 2024.
Meanwhile, US officials have confirmed that they have received and are considering a formal request from Ghanaian authorities for the extradition of the former finance minister. Ofori-Atta is expected to appear again before the Annandale Immigration Court in Virginia on April 27, following the adjournment of his immigration case. He initially appeared before the court in January during a virtual hearing, which focused on a bond redetermination and an initial review of his immigration status.
Court records indicate that Ofori-Atta's visitor visa, set to expire in February, was revoked by US authorities. He was previously directed to leave the country by November 29 last year but failed to comply, resulting in his current unlawful immigration status. His lawyers successfully requested that the bond hearing and master calendar proceedings be held behind closed doors, citing the sensitive nature of the case.
In Ghana, Ofori-Atta and five others are facing more than 70 criminal charges linked to several corruption investigations. One significant allegation involves a contract with Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML), which allegedly caused a financial loss of over GHS1.4 billion to the state. The case continues to garner attention both in Ghana and internationally, as legal proceedings unfold in the United States and Ghanaian authorities continue efforts to have him return to face trial.