The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has dismissed reports suggesting that a United States immigration court found criminal charges against former Finance Minister Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta to be lacking credibility.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the OSP said it had taken note of media reports and a publication attributed to a Ghanaian law firm claiming that Mr Ofori-Atta had been granted permanent residency in the United States following an immigration court finding that the criminal charges brought against him by the OSP were not credible.
The anti-corruption agency clarified that it is not involved in any immigration proceedings concerning Mr Ofori-Atta in the United States and therefore could not comment on matters relating to his residency status.
According to the OSP, its involvement in the case is limited to extradition proceedings being pursued through the Attorney-General, who serves as Ghana’s central authority in such matters.
“The extradition packet is not before the immigration court,” the OSP stated, adding that the question of whether the criminal charges against Mr Ofori-Atta are credible can only be determined by Ghanaian courts, which have the legal jurisdiction to adjudicate the matter.
The Special Prosecutor’s office further stressed that any assessment of Mr Ofori-Atta’s guilt or innocence remains the exclusive responsibility of the courts in Ghana.
The statement also underscored that Mr Ofori-Atta remains a citizen of Ghana despite reports of his permanent residency status in the United States.
“As such, he remains amenable to extradition to Ghana if so decided by the extradition court in the United States,” the OSP noted.
The clarification comes amid growing public interest in the legal proceedings involving the former Finance Minister, who is facing criminal charges filed by the OSP as part of ongoing investigations.
The OSP’s statement seeks to separate the ongoing extradition process from any immigration-related proceedings in the United States, insisting that the two matters are distinct and should not be conflated.
