A US Immigration court has granted permanent residency to Ghana’s former Minister of Finance, Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, marking a significant victory for him amid an ongoing legal hurdle with Ghanaian authorities.
This follows an application by the former Minister to US authorities to grant him permanent residency while Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), had declared him a fugitive from justice.
The decision, delivered on Monday, June 16, 2026, during proceedings in which the court considered Ofori-Atta’s I-485 petition, is a key step in the process of acquiring permanent resident status in the United States.
Ofori-Atta’s lawyer, Frank Davies, says the court’s decision was highly influenced by the criminal investigations and charges currently facing the former Minister in Ghana.
He indicates that the judge reportedly expressed concerns about some of the circumstances linked to the actions of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), where he declared him a fugitive from justice.
During the hearing, attention was drawn to the OSP’s earlier declaration of Mr Ofori-Atta as a fugitive from justice.
According to Davies, the court reportedly heard that the 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 engaging with investigators in Ghana.
Evidence was also presented by a witness familiar with international policing and Interpol procedures, who reportedly questioned aspects of the process adopted by the Ghanaian authorities in pursuing the matter.
Ofori-Atta remains the subject of multiple criminal charges in Ghana arising from decisions taken during his tenure as Finance Minister.
Although the ruling does not have any bearing on his criminal proceedings pending in Ghana, legal pundits believe the Attorney-General’s quest to secure his extradition from the US to face charges will be difficult.
The substantive criminal matters against the former minister remain under the jurisdiction of Ghana’s courts and are expected to proceed in accordance with Ghanaian law.
Ken Ofori-Atta is facing multiple allegations linked to financial irregularities, including claims that a contract awarded to Strategic Mobilisation Limited resulted in a loss of over GH¢1.4 billion to the state.
He is also under investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which in June 2025 initiated steps for an INTERPOL Red Notice after he reportedly failed to respond to several invitations for questioning. The notice was later deleted by INTERPOL.
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