A member of the legal team of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has criticised comments made by lawyer Abraham Amaliba over the former minister’s current legal situation in the United States.
Speaking on Prime Insight on Joy Prime on Saturday, January 10, lawyer Frank Davies dismissed claims that Mr Ofori-Atta’s lawyers in Ghana are not properly informed about developments in the case.
During the programme, the host referred to comments made by Mr Amaliba in a video circulating online.
In the video, Mr Amaliba suggested that the Ghana-based lawyers of the former finance minister did not have full knowledge of his status, especially since lawyers in the United States had gone silent after Mr Ofori-Atta’s reported detention by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to Mr Amaliba, the US lawyers had earlier spoken publicly about the extradition process, including granting an interview to the BBC, but had stopped commenting since the ICE detention.
He said that the matter had now been left to lawyers in Ghana who “do not even have information” about what is happening in the US.
Responding to this, Mr Davies said, “Well, Amaliba, my good friend, is a trained lawyer. And when lawyers talk in this pedestrian manner, I got a bit worried.”
He questioned why Mr Amaliba would assume that the former Finance Minister’s lawyers in Ghana are not in contact with their counterparts in the United States.
“What does he know about engagement between American lawyers and lawyers?” he asked. “If he’s doing a case in Ghana, and there’s another leg in America, is he trying to suggest that American lawyers will not give him feedback as to what is happening?”
Mr Davies added that lawyers should avoid speaking publicly on matters they do not fully understand.
“When people have little knowledge of something, it is better for them to keep quiet rather than go around embarrassing themselves and saying all kinds of things because they want to be heard on the radio or television,” he said.
“It is needless. I would say that his government is in power. Sedinam Tamakloe-Attionu has been convicted, regularly and legally, by a court of competent jurisdiction. She’s a criminal fugitive, and she is in America. Tell him that while he’s talking about Ken, he should tell his Attorney General to also start extradition proceedings to bring Sedinam to Ghana to come and answer for her crime.”
On the issue of Mr Ofori-Atta’s detention, Mr Davies confirmed that legal action has already been taken in the United States.
“The lawyers in America have filed the process in court to challenge his custody in ICE detention,” he said.
He explained that the case will be heard later this month and questioned what Mr Amaliba expected the US lawyers to be saying publicly at this stage.
“That process will be heard later this month. What does he expect the lawyers in America to be saying?” Mr Davies asked.
“That is why we are here as lawyers, because we have collaboration and teamwork with American lawyers.”
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