Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has secured a major legal victory in the United States after an immigration court reportedly granted his I-485 Green Card petition, according to a press release issued by his lawyers on June 16, 2026.
The legal team, Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline & Partners, said the court considered evidence relating to actions taken by Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), including its earlier decision to declare Ofori-Atta a fugitive from justice while he was reportedly receiving medical treatment in the United States and while his lawyers were allegedly maintaining communication with investigators in Ghana.
According to the statement signed by Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo, solicitor for Ofori-Atta, the U.S. immigration court found the criminal charges facing the former minister in Ghana to be “not credible.” The court subsequently granted his application for adjustment of status, commonly known as an I-485 Green Card petition.
The ruling follows months of immigration proceedings in the United States involving Ofori-Atta. Court records had earlier indicated that he was scheduled to appear before an immigration judge on June 15, 2026, in a case that was expected to influence both his residency status in the United States and Ghana’s efforts to secure his return over criminal allegations.
However, the law firm clarified that the court’s findings were made within the framework of U.S. immigration proceedings and were focused on whether Ofori-Atta met the legal requirements for adjustment of status under American immigration law.
“The court’s decision was focused on whether Mr. Ofori-Atta met the legal requirements for adjustment of status,” the statement noted, stressing that the ruling arose from immigration proceedings rather than a trial on the merits of the Ghanaian criminal case.
The development is likely to generate renewed debate in Ghana, where the former finance minister remains at the centre of investigations and legal proceedings initiated by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
Neither the OSP nor Ghanaian authorities had publicly responded to the court ruling at the time of filing this report.
