Ken Ofori-Atta, Ghana’s former Finance Minister, is scheduled to face a United States court on Tuesday, January 20, following actions by U.S. immigration authorities regarding his residency status.
According to reports, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has determined that Mr Ofori-Atta is no longer lawfully present in the country.
The court appearance may open the door to extradition proceedings to Ghana.
In response to public speculation, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has clarified that the case does not involve a standard visa overstay, saying Mr Ofori-Atta’s visitor visa was deliberately cancelled by U.S. authorities.
Dr Ayine, speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, January 10, said Mr Ofori-Atta was permitted to stay in the United States until November 29 but did not depart as required.
He added that the visa revocation was intentional and related to ongoing investigations, rather than routine immigration procedures.
The Attorney-General said the revocation of Mr Ofori-Atta’s visa, which was initially valid until February, confirms that the issue extends beyond immigration compliance.
He added that the extradition request is connected to investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor regarding the SML case, with strong collaboration between Ghanaian and U.S. officials.
Meanwhile, former MASLOC Chief Executive Officer, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, is expected in a U.S. court on January 21 as part of processes relating to her potential extradition to Ghana.
