Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has been awarded permanent citizenship in the United States, after a US immigration judge determined that Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) failed to offer substantial evidence to support its corruption case against him.
Judge David Gardey rejected the OSP’s affidavit as insufficient to indicate criminal activity and granted Ofori-Atta’s green card application in a decision dated June 15, 2026.
Judge Gardey stated that the OSP’s affidavit had no convincing evidence of criminal activity or criminal conspiracy involving the respondent.
More than 70 criminal charges are included in the OSP’s case against Ofori-Atta, who is accused of conspiring and misusing public funds while serving as finance minister. However, the judge declared that the statement was “full of conclusory allegations” and lacked the “credible or reliable facts” necessary to support those assertions.
Ofori-Atta stated in his testimony that he did not personally profit from decisions taken while in office and that he never got anything of value from businesses or people who were the subject of an inquiry.
His testimony was deemed credible by the judge.
The court considered Ofori-Atta’s long-standing ties to the United States when awarding the green card, including his schooling and professional career there, his son, who is a citizen of the United States, his spotless criminal record in the nation, and his continuing medical care.
The withdrawal of an Interpol Red Notice related to Ghana’s allegations, a KPMG assessment that discovered administrative flaws but no criminal misconduct, and the US Department of Justice’s choice not to pursue extradition in response to Ghana’s request were among the other considerations mentioned.
Source: newsthemegh.com