The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has clarified that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta remains subject to extradition proceedings, despite reports that he has secured approval to pursue permanent residency in the United States.
In a statement on Tuesday June 16, the OSP said it had taken note of media reports and publications claiming that a US immigration court granted Mr Ofori-Atta permanent residency after allegedly finding that the criminal charges filed against him in Ghana lacked credibility.
However, the OSP stressed that it is not a party to any immigration proceedings involving the former minister in the United States.
"The OSP states that it is not involved in immigration hearings in the United States involving Mr. Ofori-Atta," the statement said.
According to OSP, its involvement in the matter relates solely to extradition proceedings being pursued through the Attorney-General, acting as Ghana's central authority in such cases.
"The OSP's involvement is in respect of extradition proceedings against Mr. Ofori-Atta through the Attorney-General as the central authority," it stated.
The Office further explained that the extradition case is separate from any immigration process and that the criminal charges facing Mr Ofori-Atta remain matters for the Ghanaian courts to determine.
"The extradition packet is not before the immigration court; and the credibility or otherwise of the criminal charges against Mr. Ofori-Atta would be determined by the courts in Ghana, who have jurisdiction to determine his guilt or innocence," the OSP noted.
The Special Prosecutor's Office also rejected suggestions that any immigration ruling in the United States automatically shields Mr Ofori-Atta from extradition.
"Further, Mr. Ofori-Atta still remains a citizen of Ghana and he is still amenable to be extradited to Ghana if so decided by the extradition court in the United States," the statement added.
The clarification comes after reports emerged that a US immigration court had allowed the former Finance Minister to proceed with obtaining lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as a Green Card, amid ongoing legal proceedings involving him in Ghana.