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The United States has granted permanent residency to Ghana’s former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, bringing an end to a legal and immigration saga that culminated in his brief detention by US authorities earlier this year, according to his lawyer on Tuesday.
Ofori-Atta, 66, has been in the United States since January last year, where he has been receiving medical treatment, including prostate cancer surgery. His stay, however, became complicated in January when US immigration authorities arrested him over what his legal team described as “the status of his current stay,” rather than any direct link to allegations in Ghana.
His lawyers said he was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while he was applying to extend his stay in the country.
The former minister was later declared a fugitive by Ghanaian authorities in February 2025 and formally charged with corruption in November, deepening political tensions between his supporters and the current administration in Accra.
Announcing the outcome of his immigration case, his attorney Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo stated: “Ken Ofori-Atta’s Green card I-485 petition has been granted by US Immigration Court.”
He added that “the Court finds the criminal charges in Ghana not credible,” while clarifying that the ruling was strictly based on immigration law.
The decision was focused on whether Mr Ofori-Atta met the legal requirements for adjustment of status,” he said.
Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s finance minister from 2017 to 2024 under former President Nana Akufo-Addo, overseeing major tax reforms and complex negotiations with the International Monetary Fund amid economic pressure.
In Ghana, President John Mahama’s administration has intensified anti-corruption efforts, though critics argue that the campaign risks being politically selective and disproportionately targeting former officials linked to the previous government.
