Mr. Ofori-Atta is currently detained at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Virginia. He was arrested in January after U.S. immigration authorities found that he had overstayed his visa.
His lawyer, Enayat Qasimi, told the news website Semafor that Mr. Ofori-Atta is pursuing a “pathway to residency” in the U.S., expressing fear that he would not receive a fair trial if he returned to Ghana.
Mr. Qasimi argued that the former minister is the target of a “political witch hunt” and raised concerns about the independence of Ghana’s judiciary.
Ghana has formally requested Mr. Ofori-Atta’s extradition, and U.S. authorities have confirmed receiving the request. The Office of the Attorney General in Ghana declined to comment on the matter.
Mr. Ofori-Atta is scheduled to appear before the Annandale Immigration Court in Virginia on April 27. His first hearing took place in January via a virtual session with Judge David Gardey, focusing on bond redetermination and an initial review of his case.
Court documents show that his visitor visa had expired in February, and after being given a deadline of November 29 to leave the U.S., he failed to comply. Consequently, he lost lawful immigration status in the country.
During court proceedings, the bond hearing and related master calendar hearing were held behind closed doors due to the sensitive nature of the case.
Meanwhile, in Ghana, Mr. Ofori-Atta and five others face more than 70 criminal charges linked to corruption investigations.
These include allegations that the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) contract caused the state a financial loss exceeding GH¢1.4 billion during his tenure as Finance Minister from 2017 to 2024.
The case continues to attract attention both in Ghana and internationally, highlighting concerns about corruption and legal accountability for high-ranking public officials.