Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has engaged top US-based lawyers to oppose efforts to have him returned to Ghana, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Dr Dominic Ayine has disclosed.
Dr Ayine revealed the development on Thursday, December 18, 2025, during the government’s Accountability Series, shortly after Ghana formally submitted an extradition request to United States authorities for Ofori-Atta and his former Chief of Staff, Ernest Darko Akore.
“I have been informed that Mr Ofori-Atta has hired some of the top lawyers in the US with extensive experience to defend him. I am not afraid at all. It means that there is going to be a fight in the Federal Courts in the US,” the Attorney-General said.
He explained that extradition proceedings in the US are handled through the federal court system and could pass through several stages of judicial review, including the District Court, Circuit Court and, ultimately, the US Supreme Court.
Despite acknowledging that the process could be lengthy, Dr Ayine said Ghana remains confident in its case. “I have formally transmitted a request for the extradition of former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and his Chef de Cabinet, Ernest Darko Akore,” he stated.
The matter now rests with US authorities, particularly the judiciary, to determine whether sufficient legal grounds exist for the two to be extradited to Ghana to stand trial.
