Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to appear before a United States court today, Tuesday, after U.S. immigration authorities questioned his legal status in the country.
Reports indicate that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ruled that Mr.Ofori-Atta no longer has lawful permission to remain in the United States, a development that could open the way for extradition proceedings to Ghana following the hearing.
However, Ghana’s Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has rejected suggestions that the matter is a routine case of visa overstay. He maintains that Mr.Ofori-Atta’s visitor visa was deliberately revoked by U.S. authorities rather than expiring naturally.
Dr. Ayine explained that although Mr. Ofori-Atta was initially permitted to stay in the U.S. until November 29, he failed to leave within the stipulated period.
“This is not simply an immigration issue. His visa did not expire; it was revoked. I state this on authority,” Dr. Ayine said, adding that the visa had originally been valid until February before it was withdrawn.
The Attorney-General further disclosed that the revocation is linked to ongoing investigations and Ghana’s extradition request, which he said is connected to probes by the Office of the Special Prosecutor into the SML case.
In a related development, former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, is also scheduled to appear before a U.S. court on January 21 in connection with possible extradition proceedings to Ghana.
