Former finanance minister Ken Ofori-Atta is seeking permanent residency in the United States while facing an extradition request from Ghana over corruption-related allegations, his lawyer has said.
Ofori-Atta is currently being held at a detention facility run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the state of Virginia after he was arrested by U.S. immigration authorities in January for overstaying his visa.
His lawyer, Enayat Qasimi, told U.S.-based news outlet Semafor that Ofori-Atta has a “pathway to residency” in the United States and intends to pursue it instead of returning to Ghana.
Qasimi argued that his client may not receive a fair trial in Ghana, claiming the former minister is the target of a “political witch hunt” linked to corruption allegations during his tenure from 2017 to 2024.
Ghana’s government has formally submitted an extradition request to U.S. authorities seeking Ofori-Atta’s return to face charges. The office of the Attorney-General’s Department of Ghana declined to comment on the matter.
Ofori-Atta is expected to reappear before the Annandale Immigration Court on April 27 after proceedings on his immigration status were adjourned.
He first appeared before the court in January during a virtual hearing presided over by immigration judge David Gardey.
The hearing focused on a bond redetermination and an initial review of the case.
Court documents show that Ofori-Atta had earlier been instructed to leave the United States by 29 Nov. last year but failed to do so, leaving him without lawful immigration status after his visitor visa expired in February.
In Ghana, Ofori-Atta and five others face more than 70 criminal charges tied to several corruption investigations.
One of the cases centres on a contract awarded to Strategic Mobilisation Limited, which prosecutors say caused a financial loss of more than 1.4 billion cedis to the state.
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