A United States Immigration Court has granted an application for adjustment of status submitted by Ghana’s former Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, ruling that criminal allegations levelled against him by Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) lack credible evidence and are politically motivated.
Delivering the decision following a hearing on June 15, 2026, United States Immigration Judge David Gardey affirmed that Mr Ofori-Atta established that he did not engage in criminal wrongdoing or personally profit during his tenure as Finance Minister.
Addressing the respondent’s immigration status, Judge Gardey noted that while Mr Ofori-Atta had overstayed his visa, he was actively pursuing status regularisation in good faith through an I-130 petition filed by his son, a US citizen.
The court concluded that the visa overstay constituted a relatively minor violation, considering his requirement for medical treatment and the circumstances surrounding actions taken by the Ghanaian government.
The court evaluated an affidavit exceeding 200 pages alongside more than 70 counts of alleged criminal wrongdoing submitted by the OSP, describing the documentation as full of conclusory allegations lacking factual foundation.
Judge Gardey declared that an independent audit by KPMG into government funds identified operational inefficiencies but found no evidence of criminal acts by Mr Ofori-Atta or his staff.
Additionally, the ruling cited Interpol’s decision in February 2026 to delete a Red Notice previously issued against Mr Ofori-Atta after determining that the charges were predominantly political.
The judge further observed that the US Department of Justice had taken no action on an extradition request from Ghana, reinforcing the finding that the allegations lacked credibility.
The court accepted testimony indicating that the criminal proceedings were driven by political animosities between parties, following the change of government.
He ruled that the positive equities in the case far outweighed the negative factors, Judge Gardey formally signed the order granting the application for adjustment of status.
Official records detailing the legal proceedings involving former Finance Minister Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta were formally authenticated following his successful application for adjustment of status in the United States.
A certified 101-page transcript of the bond proceedings conducted on 15th June 2026 was officially filed following completion by court-appointed transcription services.
According to the official Certificate of Transcriber signed on 1st July 2026 by certified transcriber Chris Naaden of Planet Depos, the document represents a full, accurate, and impartial record of the tape-recorded hearing.
”I, Chris Naaden, a transcriber, hereby declare under penalty of perjury that… the above 100 pages contain a full, true and correct transcription of the tape-recording that I received regarding the event,” the certification declared.
The transcriber affirmed having no financial interest, personal relationship, or employment ties with any parties involved in the action, guaranteeing the neutrality of the record submitted for the case (640113 Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta Bond Proceeding 6-15-26).
The official transcript certification paves the way for further legal evaluations as the court prepares for the next phase of the bond proceedings.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
