A United States Immigration Judge has ruled that Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has not provided credible evidence linking former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to any criminal wrongdoing.

Judge David Gardey, who presided over the case in which Ofori-Atta was seeking permanent residency status in the US at the Annandale Immigration Court in Virginia, said the information provided by the United States Department of Homeland Security against Ofori-Atta's permanent residency request did not demonstrate that Mr Ofori-Atta had personally benefited from his role as a public official or engaged in any criminal conspiracy.

The ruling followed arguments by the United States Department of Homeland Security, which relied on criminal charges filed against the former minister in Ghana as grounds to oppose his application for adjustment of status in the US.

However, the court rejected the claims, describing the OSP’s affidavit as containing “conclusory allegations” without sufficient facts to establish criminal conduct.

“The court finds that the affidavit is lacking in any persuasive proof or evidence that the respondent has engaged in any criminal wrongdoing as alleged,” Judge Gardey stated.

The judge further noted that the absence of persuasive evidence of criminal wrongdoing was significant, adding that Mr Ofori-Atta had not been credibly shown to have committed any offence in Ghana.

OSP disputes interpretation of US immigration court proceedings involving Ofori-Atta

Meanwhile, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has rejected reports suggesting that a United States immigration court has dismissed its criminal allegations against former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, insisting that the widely circulated account misrepresents both the facts and the legal processes involved.

In response to media reports based on a purported transcript of proceedings before a US immigration court, a source at the OSP said the office was not prosecuting Mr Ofori-Atta before any American court and had no role in his reported detention by US immigration authorities.

"The portrayal is inaccurate and risks misleading the public," the source said.

"Mr Ofori-Atta was not arrested or detained at the request of the Office of the Special Prosecutor. He was taken into custody by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pursuant to U.S. immigration laws relating to his immigration status," the source said.