Former Finance Minister Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta has been granted permanent residency in the United States following a ruling by a US immigration judge in proceedings related to his immigration status.
According to the ruling, delivered on June 15, 2026, Immigration Judge David Gardey approved Ofori-Atta’s application for a Green Card after concluding that the evidence presented in the immigration proceedings did not establish criminal wrongdoing by the former minister.
The court considered an affidavit submitted in relation to allegations being pursued by Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), including more than 70 criminal counts linked to corruption and the alleged misuse of public funds during Ofori-Atta’s tenure as Finance Minister.
In the ruling, the judge stated that the affidavit did not contain sufficiently persuasive evidence to support claims of criminal conduct, describing it as containing broad allegations that were not backed by credible or reliable facts.
During the hearing, Ofori-Atta denied receiving any financial benefit from companies or individuals connected to the investigations and maintained that he did not personally profit from decisions taken while serving in government.
The court found his testimony to be credible.
In approving the application for permanent residency, the judge also considered several other factors, including Ofori-Atta’s long-standing ties to the United States through his education and professional career, his family connections, including a US citizen son, his lack of a criminal record in the United States, and his ongoing medical treatment.
The court further took into account the removal of an Interpol Red Notice linked to the Ghanaian case, a KPMG review that reportedly identified administrative weaknesses but no evidence of criminal conduct, and the absence of extradition action by US authorities.
