Lawyer for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, Frank Davies, says a United States immigration court has granted his client permanent residency following what he describes as a rigorous legal process involving multiple US authorities.
Davies said the decision was reached after extensive submissions from American government agencies and legal representatives.
“After submissions from the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and our counterpart lawyers in America, the judge came to a decision to grant permanent residence status,” he said.
His comments come in response to a statement from Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which clarified that the US immigration court did not consider the criminal allegations against Mr. Ofori-Atta and stressed that extradition proceedings are separate legal processes.
However, Mr. Davies questioned the OSP’s position, insisting that no criminal allegations were before the US court at all.
“Which allegations? There was no allegation before the court. The only matter was whether he met the requirements for adjustment of his immigration status,” he argued.
He further maintained that the ruling is strictly related to immigration status and does not prevent Ghanaian authorities from pursuing extradition if they choose to do so.
“If the OSP wants to pursue the extradition request, they should go ahead. Ofori-Atta has not prevented anybody from pursuing that process,” he said.
Davies also described the ruling as a significant vindication for his client, adding that the application went through what he termed “religious scrutiny” before approval.
On whether Ofori-Atta would return to Ghana to face the alleged charges, the lawyer insisted his client has not been formally notified.
“As his lawyer, we have not been served with any charges. If he is notified, he will respond accordingly,” he said.
He further stated that Ofori-Atta has never avoided accountability and has previously responded to inquiries when required.
“Ofori-Atta is not someone who flees from accountability. He has not and he will not,” Davies said.
