Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to appear before a United States court today, January 20, following a determination by U.S. immigration authorities that he no longer has lawful status to remain in the country.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly ruled that Mr Ofori-Atta’s stay in the United States is unlawful, a development that could pave the way for extradition proceedings to Ghana.
Ghana’s Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has rejected claims that the matter is a routine visa overstay, insisting that Mr Ofori-Atta’s visitor visa was deliberately revoked by U.S. authorities. According to him, the visa was withdrawn before its expiry and the action was linked to ongoing investigations rather than standard immigration enforcement.
Dr Ayine explained that although Mr Ofori-Atta had initially been granted permission to stay in the U.S. until November 29, his visa, originally valid until February was revoked intentionally. He further disclosed that Ghana’s request for extradition is connected to investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor into the SML case, with Ghanaian and U.S. authorities cooperating on the matter.
Meanwhile, former MASLOC Chief Executive Officer, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, is also scheduled to appear before a U.S. court on January 21 in relation to separate extradition proceedings to Ghana.