Ofori-Atta is set to appear in a U.S. court today concerning his immigration status.
Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is set to appear before a United States court on Tuesday, January 20, after steps taken by U.S. immigration officials regarding his legal status in the country.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reportedly concluded that Mr. Ofori-Atta no longer possesses lawful status to stay in the United States. This situation may facilitate extradition proceedings to Ghana following the court appearance.
Nevertheless, Ghana’s Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has refuted claims that this is merely a standard visa overstay case. He insists that Mr. Ofori-Atta’s visitor visa was deliberately revoked by U.S. authorities, rather than simply expiring.
In comments made on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, January 10, Dr. Ayine clarified that while Mr. Ofori-Atta was originally allowed to remain in the U.S. until November 29, he did not leave by the required date.
He emphasized that the visa revocation was purposeful and connected to active investigations, not ordinary immigration measures. “This is not simply an immigration issue. His visa did not expire; it was revoked. I state this on authority,” Dr. Ayine declared, noting further that the visa had been set to remain valid until February prior to its withdrawal.
The Attorney-General also revealed that Ghana’s extradition request for Mr. Ofori-Atta relates to probes by the Office of the Special Prosecutor into the SML matter, highlighting close cooperation between Ghanaian and U.S. authorities on the issue.
In a connected update, former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, is anticipated to appear before a U.S. court on January 21 in proceedings related to a potential extradition to Ghana.
Editor:
Samuel Obiri-Yeboah
