Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dominic Ayine, has expressed confidence in the process to bring former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta back to Ghana, even as he confirmed a tight deadline set by a United States court.

“I am very hopeful, extremely hopeful,” Ayine declared when asked directly about the likelihood of Ofori-Atta’s extradition.

This vote of confidence comes amidst a complex legal proceeding in the U.S., where an immigration judge has mandated that a formal extradition request be filed by February 19.

Ayine clarified that the current U.S. hearings pertain specifically to alleged immigration violations, a process he described as “separate and distinct from the extradition request.”

For the extradition to advance within that court, the U.S. Justice Department must formally submit Ghana’s request by the judge’s deadline.

“The justice department is working on the extradition request,” Ayine stated, explaining the procedural requirement.

“If it was put in before the immigration judge that there’s an extradition request, he wants a formal filing before him.”

While projecting optimism, the Attorney General was clear about the limits of Ghana’s control over the next critical steps. “I don’t control what happens with the justice department in the U.S.,” he noted, placing the onus on American authorities to meet the impending court deadline.

Ayine, who monitored the recent U.S. hearing, also indicated he is receiving confidential updates from U.S. officials but is bound from public discussion.

“I have had reports from the United States… But these are confidential discussions and I’m not supposed to talk to the media about what they have briefed me on,” he said.