The long awaited wish of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, has been granted after United States (US) immigration court has approved his application for lawful permanent residency.
The decision was delivered on Monday, June 15, during proceedings in which the court considered Mr Ofori-Atta’s I-485 petition — the key application form in the process of acquiring permanent resident status in the United States.
The development comes barely a week after government disclosed that, the Attorney General and Minister for Justice is planning to meet his counterparts in the US to discuss efforts to extradite nationals wanted back home in Ghana.
While the latest news on the surface poses a negative effect on government’s quest to extradite the former Minister, analysts maintain the cases are different and may not have much impact on the process.
He has been in the US since January last year despite charges against him that he is wanted in Ghana to account for his stewardship. He was earlier this year arrested and detained after his visa expired following which he put in a request for a permanent residency.
According to his lawyer, Frank Davies, the court examined issues surrounding the criminal investigations and charges currently facing the former minister in Ghana, including the earlier declaration of Mr Ofori-Atta as a fugitive from justice by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The court heard that the fugitive declaration was made while the former minister was receiving medical treatment in the United States and at a time when his legal representatives were still actively engaging with investigators in Ghana.
A witness familiar with international policing and INTERPOL procedures also testified, reportedly questioning aspects of the process adopted by Ghanaian authorities in pursuing the case.
Ofori-Atta faces multiple criminal allegations in Ghana linked to financial irregularities, including claims that a contract awarded to Strategic Mobilisation Limited resulted in a loss of over GH¢1.4 billion (approx. $91 million) to the state.
The OSP initiated steps for an INTERPOL Red Notice in June 2025 after he reportedly failed to respond to several invitations for questioning, though the notice was later deleted by INTERPOL.
By Gifty Boateng