Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has issued a swift rebuttal to circulating media reports suggesting that criminal charges against former government official Mr. Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta were dismissed by a United States immigration court.
In an official public notice released today, June 16, 2026, and referenced in the document attached, the anti-graft agency firmly distanced itself from any ongoing immigration proceedings in the U.S., emphasizing that its legal focus remains locked on securing his extradition back to Ghana.
The Catalyst: Claims of U.S. Permanent Residency
The controversy erupted following a publication attributed to a Ghanaian law firm. The reports alleged that Mr. Ofori-Atta had been granted permanent residency in the United States. Crucially, the publication claimed this decision stemmed from an immigration court finding that the criminal charges filed against him by the OSP in Ghana lacked credibility.
The OSP moved quickly to dismantle these assertions, clarifying the strict legal boundaries between domestic immigration decisions and international criminal extradition.
”Not Involved in Immigration Hearings”
In the public notice, the OSP explicitly stated it is not a party to the domestic immigration matters of the United States.
”The OSP states that it is not involved in immigration hearings in the United States involving Mr. Ofori-Atta,” the statement read. “The OSP’s involvement is in respect of extradition proceedings against Mr. Ofori-Atta through the Attorney-General as the central authority.”
Furthermore, the OSP pointed out a critical procedural reality: the evidence regarding his alleged crimes has not even been vetted by the American immigration system.
”The OSP states that 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.”
Extradition Remains on the Table
The OSP concluded its notice by reminding the public that regardless of any local immigration status he may hold in the U.S., Mr. Ofori-Atta remains a Ghanaian national fully subject to international legal treaties.
”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.”
With the OSP throwing the ball back into the court of the U.S. extradition judiciary and the Ghanaian Attorney-General’s office, the legal battle over Mr. Ofori-Atta’s return to face trial is far from finished.
