US Immigration Judge Rules No Jurisdiction Over Ghanaian Minister Ken Ofori-Atta's Criminal Case

A US immigration judge concluded that documents submitted by former Ghanaian Finance Minister Ken Ofori‑Atta did not provide sufficient evidence to link him to criminal wrongdoing, allowing his application for lawful permanent residence to proceed.

Former Tamale Central MP and lawyer Inusah Fuseini argued the judge exceeded its authority, noting that criminal jurisdiction is territorial and the US court was only empowered to assess immigration eligibility, not the merits of a criminal case pending in Ghana. He emphasized that the United States is not a party to the International Criminal Court and therefore lacks jurisdiction over Ghana’s criminal proceedings.