Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayine, has revealed that he personally assured former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta would receive a fair trial in Ghana.
The disclosure came during an interview on Joy News’ Newsfile, where Dr Ayine detailed high-level legal discussions concerning the former Finance Minister’s potential repatriation from the United States.
Dr Ayine stated that Mr Ashcroft, who is representing Mr Ofori-Atta in the U.S., contacted him specifically to seek guarantees for his client’s constitutional rights.
“I assured him of the fact that under this government and in accordance with Article 19 of the Constitution, his right to a fair trial is guaranteed,” Ayine said.
He emphasised that Mr Ofori-Atta would be “accorded due process of law” and not treated unfairly.
The Attorney General outlined the significant legal hurdles facing the Ghanaian government’s efforts to bring Ofori-Atta back.
He explained that the former minister is scheduled to appear before a U.S. immigration judge and has the right to appeal any decision through multiple layers of the American judicial system, potentially up to the Supreme Court.
“If he doesn’t self-deport, this is what is going to happen,” Dr Ayine noted, describing the process as a necessary part of “probity and accountability.”
He indicated that the same lengthy appeal process would apply if Ghana pursued a formal extradition request, requiring rulings from a U.S. district court and possibly circuit courts.
Ayine explained that his earlier references to Mr Ofori-Atta’s “top lawyers” were deliberately vague because the discussions with Mr Ashcroft and two other attorneys were confidential at the time.
He pushed back against suggestions that the high-profile defense team was intimidating, stating, “I’m not afraid of them.”
The case continues to develop as the January 20th immigration hearing approaches.
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