Former Finance Minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta has not been formally notified of any criminal charges against him in Ghana, according to his lawyer, Frank Davies.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM's Middaynews on Tuesday, June 16, Mr Davies maintained that neither Ofori-Atta nor his legal team had received any official communication indicating that criminal charges had been filed against their client.

“I have said it time without number. As I speak to you now, Kenneth Ofori-Atta has not been notified of any charges pending against him in any criminal court in Ghana,” he stated.

Mr Davies was responding to questions regarding reports that a United States immigration court had found criminal allegations against Ofori-Atta in Ghana to be lacking credibility.

While declining to comment directly on the court's reasoning, the lawyer insisted that his client could not be expected to respond to charges that had not been formally brought to his attention.

“If he is notified of the charges, we will respond accordingly. All I can tell you is that we have no notification whatsoever and howsoever, either to me personally as his lawyer or otherwise,” he said.

He added, “So Ken is not aware of any charges against him. If he is not aware of any charges, then my next question is, how does he respond to something he does not know?” he asked.

The lawyer's comments come amid ongoing scrutiny of Ofori-Atta's dealings with Ghanaian investigative authorities, particularly the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which has sought his cooperation in relation to ongoing investigations in which he is facing multiple charges in Ghana relating to his tenure in office. 

Mr Davies also revealed that a U.S. immigration court had granted Ofori-Atta's application for adjustment of his immigration status, allowing him to enjoy permanent residence in the United States.

He argued that any further steps regarding the former minister's engagement with authorities in Ghana would be a matter for the relevant state institutions to determine.