The Communications Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), George Ayisi, has cautioned against assumptions that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta will automatically be returned to Ghana once deportation proceedings in the United States are concluded.
According to him, due process is currently being followed in the US, and the matter before the courts relates strictly to deportation, not extradition.
“I think the due process has been followed. He had his day in court on the matters of the deportation, not the extradition,” Mr Ayisi said, urging the public to clearly distinguish between the two legal processes.
Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show on Wednesday, January 21, Mr Ayisi explained that many people mistakenly believe that once a deportation hearing at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) court is concluded, the individual involved is immediately put on a flight to Ghana.
“That is not how it works. It’s not a matter of course that he will be bundled and brought to Ghana,” he stressed.
Mr Ayisi noted that Mr Ofori-Atta, who served as Finance Minister under the New Patriotic Party (NPP), holds multiple valid visas, giving him legal options to travel to other countries if his US status is not renewed.
“He has a multiple visa status. That means he can decide to go to the UK or Guyana or wherever, as long as the visa status is valid,” he said, adding that deportation does not automatically mean a return to one’s home country.
Mr Ayisi said he would personally prefer that the former minister return to Ghana voluntarily to account for his stewardship, stressing that accountability is a core element of public service.
“He’s a respected international figure and a former Finance Minister of Ghana. For the sake of my political party, I would rather he comes home on his own volition because after rendering service to the nation, there must be accountability,” he stated.
However, he admitted concerns about Mr Ofori-Atta’s safety should he return, citing fears of possible “mishandling” by state security agencies.
“My understanding of Hon. Ken’s worry is the way he might be mishandled. The Rambo-style arrests we’ve seen in some cases are not reassuring,” he said, referencing past high-profile security operations.
Mr Ayisi also dismissed claims that issues surrounding Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) were necessarily unlawful, saying government communicators had been adequately briefed on the processes at the time.
“I would be surprised if something untoward happened in these SML processes,” he said.
On the US legal process, he reiterated that what is currently underway is deportation, not extradition, noting that extradition proceedings can take years.
“Extradition can travel one, two years. What they are dealing with now is deportation. Extradition is a completely different matter,” he explained.
He further suggested that visa revocations affecting Mr Ofori-Atta may be linked to broader US policy decisions, pointing to what he described as a Trump-era policy that affected thousands of visa holders.
Despite the controversy, Mr Ayisi maintained that the former finance minister is not evading justice.
“He’s looking at his safety and protection under the laws of Ghana. If the state can give him that assurance, I believe he will come,” he added.
Mr Ofori-Atta has been at the centre of public debate in recent weeks amid legal and political discussions surrounding his stay abroad and a possible return to Ghana.
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