Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is scheduled to appear before a United States court on Tuesday, January 20, following actions taken by U.S. immigration authorities over his legal status in the country.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reportedly determined that Mr Ofori-Atta no longer has lawful status to remain in the United States.
This development could open the way for extradition proceedings to Ghana after the court hearing.
However, Ghana’s Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has dismissed suggestions that the matter is a routine case of visa overstay.
He maintains that Mr Ofori-Atta’s visitor visa was actively revoked by U.S. authorities rather than expiring naturally.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, January 10, Dr Ayine explained that although Mr Ofori-Atta had initially been permitted to remain in the United States until November 29, he failed to depart within the stipulated period.
According to him, the revocation of the visa was intentional and tied to ongoing investigations, not standard immigration enforcement.
“This is not simply an immigration issue. His visa did not expire; it was revoked. I state this on authority,” Dr Ayine said, adding that the visa was due to run until February before it was withdrawn.
The Attorney-General further disclosed that Ghana’s request for Mr Ofori-Atta’s extradition is linked to investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor concerning the SML case, noting that Ghanaian and U.S. authorities have been working closely on the matter.
In a related development, former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, is also expected to appear before a U.S. court on January 21, for proceedings connected to a possible extradition to Ghana.
