Former Ghana Finance Minister Bids for Permanent Residence in the U.S.

The former Ghanaian finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, who is facing corruption charges back in Ghana, is attempting to gain permanent residency in the United States. According to a report by the website Semafor, Ofori-Atta was detained by ICE agents in January for overstaying his visa. During Ofori-Atta’s tenure, he was accused of awarding public contracts to Databank, a company he co-founded, and of allegedly misusing state funds. As of right now, the Ghanaian government is pursuing extradition proceedings against Ofori Atta. Who knows what will happen next, but somehow I wouldn’t be surprised if Ofori-Atta gets his freedom in this country, but at a price.

Former Ghanaian Finance Minister Put on Interpol Red Notice List.

Earlier today, the former Ghanaian finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta was placed on Interpol’s red notice list. According to a report in Al Jazeera, Ofori Atta is being investigated over the dubious awarding of contracts involving the electricity and petroleum industries. According to another report in Yahoo Ofori- Atta was allegedly involved in embezzling $58 million to build a national cathedral. According to a report in the BBC, Ofori-Atta is out of Ghana receiving unspecified medical treatment. His whereabouts at present are not known. However, rumors exist that he could be anywhere from the US to the Cayman Islands, a noted hotspot for illicit activity.

Ghana Embassy Shut Down Over Visa Scam.

Yesterday, reports emerged that the Ghanaian embassy was shut down over an alleged visa scam. According to a report from Newsweek, Fred Kwarteng, a member of the IT department, set up an unauthorized link on the embassy website that redirected users to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC). Kwarteng and his associates then charged more for visa-related services than was reasonable, and they kept all of the proceeds for themselves. As a result, the entire IT department was dissolved, and the whole embassy will be closed until an ongoing restructuring plan is finished. It is unclear what will happen to Kwarteng, but I imagine he would face prosecution in Ghana and possibly in the U.S.