Dr Dominic Ayine (L) says a petition has been submitted to the US govt for extradition of Ofori-Atta
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has disclosed that former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has hired some of the top lawyers in the United States of America (USA) to fight the extradition processes started against him.
Dr Ayine, who made this known at the Government Accountability Series on Thursday, December 18, 2025, said that the calibre of lawyers hired by Ofori-Atta does not deter his resolve to bring the former minister back into the country to face justice.
He, however, pointed out that the only challenge is that the requirement for the extradition request to be tried in courts may delay the return of the former finance minister to Ghana and make it difficult to determine the potential date for his return.
“I just got to know yesterday that he has hired some of the top lawyers in the United States of America, very experienced lawyers to defend him. Now, I’m not afraid at all, I am not afraid at all. But it means that there is going to be a fight in the federal courts in the US.
“If the district court says ‘no’, he will go to the circuit court, all right? If the Circuit Court says ‘no’, he is entitled to go to the US Supreme Court to fight his case.”
Government files extradition request for Ken Ofori-Atta
He added, “So, I cannot tell you that he will come tomorrow or he will come the next day. And I’m just being honest. Accounting to the people means being explicit and truthful. So this is what I mean we are faced with.”
The Attorney General went on to encourage the former minister to voluntarily return to the country to face the law, assuring him (Ofori-Atta) that he would not be maltreated.
“I have, on behalf of the Government of His Excellency, John Dramani Mahama, taken the requisite steps to bring him to Ghana to face trial. And if I were him, this is his home; he should just join the next flight and come here.
“Under my watch, he will not be treated unfairly. You know, he will go through due process and be prosecuted, just like any other person, just like Kwabena Adu-Boahene, or Hanan (Abdul-Wahab Aludiba), or any of the persons that we have filed charges against,” he said.
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