A United States Immigration Judge, David Gardey, has determined that the accusations against former Finance Minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta lack convincing evidence of purported criminal activity.
The Judge revealed that his approval for Ofori-Atta’s permanent residency was based on the OSP’s affidavit, which failed to provide credible evidence for convicting the former appointee of the Akufo-Addo administration, as most allegations were mere conjectures, thereby exonerating Ofori-Atta from any financial impropriety.
The judge’s decision, articulated in a ruling dated June 15th, provided justifications for granting Mr. Ofori-Atta immigration relief despite the corruption accusations leveled against him in Ghana.
Judge Gardey noted that the charges presented by the OSP encompassed approximately 70 criminal counts. After a thorough review of the charges, he concluded that Mr. Ofori-Atta did not misappropriate public funds for personal gain. Furthermore, he indicated that the charges do not provide substantial evidence to support the claim that the former Finance Minister caused financial loss to the state.
The Judge noted that while Ghana has made grave corruption accusations against Ofori-Atta, it has not presented concrete evidence to substantiate these claims.
In contrast, the judge stated that Mr. Ofori-Atta had provided credible testimony, firmly denying any receipt of valuable items from companies or individuals linked to the investigations, as well as any personal benefits derived from his decisions during his tenure as a government official.
The judge’s evaluation was a key component in determining if Mr. Ofori-Atta’s favorable situation surpassed the immigration issues at hand, particularly his overstay of a US visa.
In arriving at its decision, the court took into account Mr. Ofori-Atta’s deep-rooted connections to the United States, which encompassed his education and professional journey, his son who is a US citizen, his clean criminal record in the country, and his medical care received in the United States.
The judge referenced the withdrawal of an Interpol Red Notice associated with the charges from Ghana, a KPMG review that identified administrative shortcomings but cleared Mr. Ofori-Atta and his team of any criminal misconduct, and noted that the US Department of Justice had not initiated an extradition case in response to Ghana’s request.
