Ofori-Atta’s reported US residency approval raises questions amid Ghana corruption probe

Former Ghanaian Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has reportedly secured approval to continue the process of obtaining lawful permanent residency in the United States, according to claims made by his legal team.

The reported decision relates to his immigration status in the US and comes as he remains at the centre of multiple investigations in Ghana. Independent verification of the reported immigration ruling has not yet been publicly confirmed.

Ofori-Atta, who served as Ghana’s finance minister from 2017 to 2024, has been under investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) over several matters linked to his time in office.

The cases include inquiries into government contracts, the National Cathedral project and other public spending decisions.

The former minister has been living in the United States, where his lawyers say he has been receiving medical treatment.

Ghanaian prosecutors have repeatedly requested his return for questioning, while Ofori-Atta’s legal team has argued that he has cooperated through his representatives and communicated his circumstances to authorities.

Tensions between the two sides escalated in recent months after the OSP declared Ofori-Atta a fugitive from justice, accusing him of failing to appear before investigators as requested. The anti-corruption agency has since said it would pursue all available legal avenues to secure his return to Ghana.

Legal experts note that any decision relating to US immigration status does not affect ongoing criminal investigations in Ghana. The questions surrounding the allegations against Ofori-Atta remain subject to Ghana’s legal system and would ultimately be determined by the country’s courts.

The reported US immigration development is therefore likely to influence where Ofori-Atta resides in the near term, but it does not alter the status of the investigations he continues to face in Ghana.