The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has stated that former Finance Minister Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta remains liable to extradition to Ghana despite reports that he has been granted permanent residency in the United States.
The clarification follows widespread media reports suggesting that a US immigration court approved Ofori-Atta’s residency application after allegedly determining that the criminal charges filed against him in Ghana were not credible.
Responding to the reports, the OSP said it has no role in immigration proceedings involving Ofori-Atta in the United States and emphasized that the matter before the US court is entirely different from the legal processes underway in Ghana.
“The OSP’s involvement is in respect of extradition proceedings against Mr. Ofori-Atta through the Attorney-General as the central authority,” the office explained.
According to the OSP, the extradition request filed against the former minister was not part of the immigration case considered by the US court. As a result, the court did not make any determination on the validity of the charges brought against him in Ghana.
“The extradition packet is not before the immigration court,” the statement noted.
The anti-graft agency further maintained that questions regarding the strength of the charges against Ofori-Atta can only be settled by Ghanaian courts.
“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,” the OSP stated.
The office also stressed that Ofori-Atta remains a Ghanaian citizen and that his reported permanent residency status in the United States does not place him beyond the reach of Ghana’s extradition processes.
The statement is expected to fuel further discussions over the former finance minister’s legal battles, as authorities continue efforts to have him return to Ghana to answer charges brought against him by the OSP.
