The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has stated that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta has hired very experienced lawyers in the United States to fight his extradition to Ghana, but stressed that he remains confident in the case.
Dr Ayine made the remark while responding to questions from journalists at the Government Accountability Series in Accra, where he briefed the public on efforts to bring Ken Ofori Atta back to Ghana to face trial.
He explained that extradition was a legal process that must go through the courts and could take time, especially because the person involved had the right to challenge the request at different levels of the United States judicial system.
According to the Attorney General, he had recently been informed that the former finance minister had engaged some of the most experienced lawyers in the US to defend him in the extradition proceedings.
Despite this, Dr Ayine stated clearly that he was not intimidated, noting that the government had taken all the required legal steps to ensure that the extradition request was properly made.
He explained that extradition cases were not administrative decisions but judicial ones, meaning that US courts would examine the evidence presented before deciding whether the former minister should be sent back to Ghana.
Dr Ayine cautioned the public against expecting a quick outcome, explaining that if the case was dismissed at a lower court, the accused person had the right to appeal to higher courts, including the US Supreme Court.
He stressed that the government’s duty was to be honest with Ghanaians and manage expectations, adding that accountability required openness and truthfulness about the challenges involved in such cases.
The Attorney General reaffirmed that the government of President John Dramani Mahama remained committed to ensuring that Ken Ofori Atta returned to Ghana to face justice.
He added that under his watch, the former minister would be treated fairly and accorded due process, just like any other accused person.
By: Jacob Aggrey
