Mahama urges Ofori-Atta to return as extradition process continues
- Mahama appealed to former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to return to Ghana.
- The President said extradition must follow legal procedures and respect the person’s rights.
- Mahama said the Attorney General’s Department had filed an application and was providing additional documents.
President John Dramani Mahama has appealed to former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to return to Ghana as the government pursues legal processes intended to secure his extradition.
Speaking during the Reset Tour and Citizens’ Engagement in the Volta Region on Friday, July 17, Mahama referred to Ofori-Atta’s time as finance minister and urged him to come back to address the issues surrounding him.
The President recalled a past remark attributed to Ofori-Atta, in which the former minister compared himself to a father who could not leave his children behind. Mahama used that comparison in his appeal, saying Ghanaians were calling on him to return.
Mahama also questioned why a person who believed they had done nothing wrong would leave the country rather than return to deal with the matter.
Legal process outlined
The President said extradition was a legal process that required respect for the rights of the person concerned. He said that, because the matter involves another jurisdiction, Ghana must make a formal request and a court in the country where the person is located must determine the application.
According to Mahama, the Attorney General’s Department has filed an application and is submitting further documents that were requested. He said the matter would eventually go before a judge in the United States for a decision.
Ofori-Atta, who previously served as finance minister, is currently outside Ghana. Authorities have initiated legal steps aimed at bringing him back to the country through the extradition process.
No outcome of the extradition application was stated during the President’s remarks.
