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Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta appeared before a United States immigration court on Tuesday, January 20, where a judge granted a request by his lawyers for his hearings to be held privately.
The proceedings included a bond hearing and a Master Calendar Hearing, both of which were closed to the public following an application by Mr Ofori-Atta’s legal team. Under US law, once a party requests a private hearing and the court is satisfied, the proceedings must be conducted in camera.
The bond hearing is meant to determine whether a detainee should be released pending further proceedings and under what conditions, including the possibility of bail. The Master Calendar Hearing, on the other hand, is the first formal stage in US immigration proceedings, during which procedural matters such as scheduling and identification of parties are addressed.
Mr Ofori-Atta, identified in court records as number 720, was initially scheduled to appear in a virtual hearing that attracted significant public interest. Many Ghanaians joined the online session using the link provided, leading to technical challenges that eventually forced the session to be shut down.
Following the disruption, the court confirmed that Mr Ofori-Atta’s lawyers had formally requested a private hearing, a request that was subsequently granted by the judge. Mr Ofori-Atta was seen in court wearing a dark shirt and a face mask.
The former minister is in court over issues related to the revocation of his US visa. On January 7, he was arrested and detained by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In a public notice issued on the same day, his lawyers, Menka-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners, stated that Mr Ofori-Atta has a pending petition for adjustment of status, which allows a person to remain legally in the United States beyond the validity of their visa.
The lawyers further assured the public that Mr Ofori-Atta is fully cooperating with ICE and expects the matter to be resolved expeditiously.
Meanwhile, Mr Ofori-Atta is wanted in Ghana by the Attorney-General and the Office of the Special Prosecutor over alleged offences relating to the SML deal, the National Cathedral project, and other matters.
