A lawyer for Ghana’s former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has said his client is pursuing permanent residency in the United States instead of returning to Ghana, where he believes he may not receive a fair trial over corruption-related allegations.
Ofori-Atta is currently being held at a detention facility run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Virginia after he was arrested by U.S. immigration officials in January for overstaying his visa.
His lawyer, Enayat Qasimi, told the U.S.-based news website Semafor that Ofori-Atta has a “pathway to residency” in the United States and plans to pursue that option.
Qasimi also raised concerns about the independence of Ghana’s judiciary, arguing that the former minister has been subjected to a “political witch hunt” and may not receive a fair trial over allegations of financial impropriety during his time in office between 2017 and 2024.
The Attorney-General’s Department declined to comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, Ghana has formally submitted an extradition request to the United States seeking Ofori-Atta’s return. U.S. officials confirmed to Semafor that the request has been received.
Ofori-Atta is scheduled to reappear before the Annandale Immigration Court in Virginia on April 27 after proceedings concerning his immigration status were adjourned.
He first appeared before the court in January during a virtual hearing presided over by Judge David Gardey. The hearing focused on a bond redetermination and an initial review of his immigration case.
Ofori-Atta joined the hearing from the Caroline Detention Centre, wearing a black shirt, spectacles and a nose mask.
His visitor visa, which was due to expire in February, was subsequently revoked by U.S. authorities. Court documents indicate he had earlier been instructed to leave the United States by November 29 last year but failed to comply, leaving him without lawful immigration status.
During the hearing, his lawyers successfully requested that the bond hearing and master calendar proceedings be held behind closed doors, citing the sensitive nature of the case. The judge granted the request.
In Ghana, Ofori-Atta and five others are facing more than 70 criminal charges linked to several corruption investigations. #
One of the cases involves allegations that a contract awarded to Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) caused a financial loss of more than GH¢1.4 billion to the state.
