Dr Ayine (L) spoke with John Ashcroft (second from left), Enayat Qasimi (far right) about Ofori-Atta
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has shared details of a confidential conversation he had with high-profile US lawyers representing former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
Speaking on NewsFile on JoyNews on Saturday, January 10, 2026, Dr Ayine recounted that former US Attorney General John Ashcroft, who is part of Ofori-Atta’s legal team, reached out to him to discuss concerns about ensuring a fair trial for the former minister upon his return to Ghana.
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“John Ashcroft, the former Attorney General of the United States of America called me and said he was the one representing Ken Ofori-Atta in the matter, but his concerns and reason for calling me was for me to assure him that when Ken is returned to Ghana, he’ll get a fair trial.
“And 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. Ken Ofori-Atta is not a person that will come here, and we’re going to treat him very shabbily and so on and so forth. He will be accorded due process of law. His fair trial rights will be guaranteed, and so on,” he disclosed.
He added that the conversation also included two other lawyers, and at the time, the discussions were strictly confidential.
“So, I talked with John Ashcroft, including the lawyer who granted the interview [Enayat Qasimi], so there were three of them; three lawyers who spoke to me via Zoom on that day when they were expressing concerns. So, at that point in time, it was confidential. I could not mention John Ashcroft as his lawyer,” he stated.
Dr Ayine also explained why he had earlier described the lawyers as ‘top,’ a comment that drew some criticism from the public.
“But I was simply saying that when you take the fact that he has these top lawyers coming to court in America to defend him, it is not going to be a day’s work to bring him home,” he explained.
The AG further explained the legal process Ofori-Atta may face in the US, including appearing before an immigration judge on January 20, 2026, with the right to appeal through the district court, circuit court of appeals, and potentially the US Supreme Court.
He also noted that any extradition proceedings would follow a similar multi-level judicial pathway.
“In this current matter, he will appear before an immigration judge on January 20th [2026]. He has a right to appeal that decision to a district court. From the district court, it can go to a circuit court of appeals. Then from there to the United States Supreme Court. That is potentially the legal pathway to the determination as to whether or not he should be taken from America. If he doesn’t self-deport, this is what is going to happen.
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“In the extradition case, again, a district court will hear the proceedings and make a determination as to whether to extradite him. If he’s not happy about that, he can go to a circuit court of appeal and to the United States of America,” he explained.
MAG/AE
