Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has urged the government to pursue any allegations against former Finance Minister Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta through the courts if it believes it has sufficient evidence of wrongdoing, rather than engaging in what he described as political attacks.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Mr Afenyo-Markin criticised comments made by Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga regarding Mr Ofori-Atta, arguing that it was unfair to continually target an individual who is not present to respond to accusations made against him.

His remarks followed criticism from the Majority Leader, who questioned Mr Afenyo-Markin over an earlier assurance he had given in the House that he would facilitate Mr Ofori-Atta’s appearance before investigators and the courts.

The Minority Leader maintained that Parliament should not be used as a platform for political attacks and called on the government to focus its attention on addressing the country’s pressing economic challenges.

According to him, issues such as unemployment, rising electricity tariffs, and concerns being raised by farmers across the country deserve greater attention than political exchanges over former government officials.

The comments come against the backdrop of ongoing tensions between the Majority and Minority caucuses over the state of the economy and investigations involving former officials of the previous administration.

Meanwhile, Mr Ofori-Atta has secured a legal victory in the United States after an immigration court approved his application for lawful permanent residency, a development that could potentially complicate efforts by Ghanaian authorities to secure his return to face criminal investigations.

The decision was delivered on June 15 after the court considered his I-485 petition, a key application in the process of obtaining permanent resident status in the United States.

According to his lawyer, Frank Davies, the court examined matters relating to the criminal investigations and charges facing the former Finance Minister in Ghana, including his previous designation as a fugitive from justice by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

The court was told that the fugitive declaration was made while Mr Ofori-Atta was undergoing medical treatment in the United States and at a time when his legal team remained engaged with investigators in Ghana. Testimony from a witness familiar with international policing and INTERPOL procedures reportedly also raised concerns about aspects of the process adopted by Ghanaian authorities.

Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo is reported to have indicated that Mr Ofori-Atta’s application for permanent residency had been approved.

The former Finance Minister is currently facing multiple allegations in Ghana relating to financial irregularities, including claims that a contract awarded to Strategic Mobilisation Limited resulted in losses exceeding GH¢1.4 billion to the state.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor initiated steps to secure an INTERPOL Red Notice against Mr Ofori-Atta in June 2025 after he allegedly failed to honour several invitations for questioning. However, the notice was subsequently removed by INTERPOL