Ghana’s former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has reportedly secured a legal victory in the United States, with an immigration court approving his application to adjust his immigration status.
According to reports, the US court has paved the way for Ken Ofori-Atta to obtain lawful permanent residency in the United States.
Reports suggest the decision was delivered on Monday when the Immigration court considered Mr Ofori-Atta’s I-485 petition.
A Press Release by lawyers of Ken Ofori-Atta in Ghana revealed that the court examined issues surrounding the criminal investigations and charges currently facing the former minister in Ghana, with the judge reportedly raising concerns about some of the circumstances linked to the actions taken by Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
“During the hearing, attention was drawn to the OSP’s earlier declaration of Mr Ofori-Atta as a fugitive from justice.
The court reportedly heard that the declaration was made while the former minister was receiving medical treatment in the United States and at a time when his legal representatives were still engaging with investigators in Ghana.
Evidence was also presented by a witness familiar with international policing and Interpol procedures, who reportedly questioned aspects of the process adopted by the Ghanaian authorities in pursuing the case”, citinews reports stated.
However, Ken Ofori-Atta is still a subject of multiple criminal charges in Ghana arising from decisions taken during his tenure as Finance Minister.
The immigration ruling relates specifically to U.S. immigration proceedings and does not constitute a determination of guilt or innocence regarding the charges he faces in Ghana.
In related news, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has broken its silence over reports that Ghana’s former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has secured a legal victory in the United States, with an immigration court approving his application to adjust his immigration status.
According to the OSP, they are not involved in immigration hearings in the United States involving Mr Ofori-Atta, adding that their involvement is in respect of extradition proceedings through the Attorney General.
They further disclosed that the criminal charges against Mr Ofori-Atta would be determined by the courts in Ghana, adding that a US residency does not clear Ofori-Atta of the extradition process.
In a post on X, the OSP wrote, “The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has taken note of media reports and a publication attributed to a law firm in Ghana that Mr Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta has been granted permanent residency in the United States, resulting from an immigration court finding that it did not find the criminal charges filed by the OSP in Ghana against Mr. Ofori-Atta credible.
The OSP states that it is not involved in immigration hearings in the United States involving Mr Ofori-Atta. The OSP’s involvement is in respect of extradition proceedings against Mr Ofori-Atta through the Attorney-General as the central authority.
The OSP states that the extradition packet is not before the immigration court, and the credibility or otherwise of the criminal charges against Mr Ofori-Atta would be determined by the courts in Ghana, who have jurisdiction to determine his guilt or innocence.
Further, Mr Ofori-Atta still remains a citizen of Ghana, and he is still amenable to be extradited to Ghana if so decided by the extradition court in the United States.
See the statement below:
