Ken Ofori-Atta, the former Finance Minister of Ghana, is pursuing permanent residency in the United States instead of going back to Ghana, where he feels he might not get a fair trial due to accusations of corruption, according to his attorney.
After being detained by U.S. immigration officials in January for exceeding his visa, Mr. Ofori-Atta is currently being held at a detention facility run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Virginia.
Enayat Qasimi, his attorney, told the US news website Semafor.com that his client has a “pathway to residency” in the US and plans to follow it.
He also expressed doubts about Ghana’s judiciary’s independence, saying that Mr. Ofori-Atta has been the target of a “political witch hunt” and might not be given a fair trial for alleged financial misconduct while serving from 2017 to 2024.
Ghana’s Attorney General’s Department office declined to comment.
In the meantime, Ghana has formally requested Mr. Ofori-Atta’s return through extradition to the United States. Semafor was informed by U.S. officials that the request had been received.
Following the postponement of proceedings pertaining to his immigration status, Mr. Ofori-Atta is scheduled to reappear before the Annandale Immigration Court in Virginia on April 27.
Judge David Gardey presided over his initial court appearance in January during a virtual session. A bond redetermination and a preliminary case review were the main topics of discussion during the session.
Wearing a nose mask, glasses, and a black shirt, Mr. Ofori-Atta attended the court from the Caroline Detention Center.
U.S. authorities later cancelled his guest visa, which was set to expire in February. According to court records, he was previously instructed to depart the country by November 29 of last year but neglected to do so, depriving him of legal immigration status.
During the hearing, his attorneys successfully requested that the bond hearing and master calendar proceedings be handled behind closed doors, noting the sensitivity of the topics at hand. The judge granted the motion.
In Ghana, Mr. Ofori-Atta and five others are facing almost 70 criminal accusations stemming from multiple corruption probes. The cases involve allegations that a contract issued to Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) caused a financial loss to the state of around GH¢1.4 billion.
Source: newsthemegh.com