A member of the legal team of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, Frank Davies, has clarified that his client has not overstayed his visa in the United States, amid public speculation following reports of his detention by US immigration authorities.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday (8 January), Davies explained that Ofori-Atta lawfully entered the United States on a visa issued for medical and professional purposes, but subsequently applied for an extension and adjustment of status due to medical considerations that required him to remain in the country beyond the original period granted.
“This is not a case of overstaying,” Davies said. “He has applied for an extension of his resident period. If he had overstayed, he would have been repatriated or deported by now.”
According to the lawyer, the former minister has a pending petition before US authorities, specifically the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), seeking approval to remain in the country lawfully while the process is reviewed.
Davies confirmed that Ofori-Atta is currently in lawful detention, stressing that this is a standard administrative procedure while immigration officials assess the petition.
“He has a petition pending, and it is incumbent on the authorities to assess it on its merits and make a decision one way or the other—whether to grant the extension or deny it,” he stated.
He rejected claims that the development is linked to attempts by Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) or the Attorney-General to have Ofori-Atta extradited to Ghana.
“Extradition proceedings have absolutely nothing to do with what is going on presently,” Davies insisted. “Anyone who equates a petition for adjustment of status under US immigration law to extradition proceedings clearly misunderstands the law.”
Addressing public anxiety in Ghana, Davies assured that Ofori-Atta’s rights are fully protected under US law and that his legal team in the United States is actively engaging the authorities to resolve the matter.
“Our counterpart lawyers in the US are working around the clock. He is safe where he is, and there is nothing complicated about this process,” he said.
Davies added that the legal team expects clarity on the matter within the week, urging the public to disregard misinformation circulating on social media.
“We have put the facts in the public domain. Unfortunately, some people have chosen to sit on speculation, but the process is lawful and ongoing,” he said.
Source: asaaseradio.com
