US judge questions corruption case against Ken Ofori-Atta, cites lack of credible evidence

A United States immigration judge has raised concerns over the strength of the corruption case against Ghana's former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, ruling that the allegations presented by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) were not supported by credible evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

The observations were made by US Immigration Judge David Gardey in a ruling dated June 15, 2026, in which he approved Ofori-Atta's application for permanent residency in the United States.

The judge says OSP allegations lacked credible evidence.

In his ruling, Judge Gardey said he had carefully reviewed the corruption allegations filed by the OSP but found that the affidavit relied largely on broad assertions rather than verifiable facts linking the former minister to criminal conduct.

According to the court, the OSP's filing contained "conclusory allegations" and failed to provide credible or reliable evidence demonstrating that Ofori-Atta had engaged in corruption or criminal conspiracy during his tenure as finance minister.

"The lack of any persuasive evidence indicating any kind of criminal wrongdoing or criminal conspiracy involving the respondent in the OSP's affidavit is powerful evidence," the judge said.

The court reviews more than 70 criminal counts.

The ruling noted that although the OSP had brought more than 70 criminal counts against Ofori-Atta, the evidence submitted did not convincingly establish that he had abused his office or personally benefited from decisions made while serving in government.

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Judge Gardey acknowledged that the allegations involved serious accusations, including conspiracy and the alleged misuse of public funds. However, he concluded that the prosecution had not produced sufficient evidence to substantiate those claims.

The court also accepted Ofori-Atta's testimony, describing it as credible. According to the ruling, the former finance minister denied receiving money, gifts or any personal benefit from companies or individuals connected to the investigations.

The immigration decision considered broader factors.

The judge's assessment formed part of a wider review to determine whether Ofori-Atta's positive equities outweighed immigration concerns, including his previous overstay of a US visa.

In reaching his decision, the court considered several factors, including:

• Ofori-Atta's longstanding educational and professional ties to the United States.

• His US citizen son.

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• His lack of a criminal record in the United States.

• His ongoing medical treatment in the country.

Interpol notice and KPMG review cited

Judge Gardey also referenced the removal of an Interpol Red Notice connected to Ghana's case against Ofori-Atta.

Additionally, the court considered the findings of a KPMG review, which reportedly identified administrative weaknesses but did not find evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Ofori-Atta or members of his staff.

The ruling further noted that the US Department of Justice had not pursued extradition proceedings based on Ghana's request.

According to the judge, these factors reinforced the court's conclusion that the allegations presented by the OSP were not sufficiently credible to outweigh the positive considerations in Ofori-Atta's immigration application.