The Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Bernard Bediako, has criticised former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, accusing him of fleeing the country to avoid ongoing legal scrutiny and investigations.
According to the lawmaker, the situation involving the former Finance Minister is unprecedented in Ghana’s political history, arguing that he cannot recall any political appointee who left the country under similar circumstances while facing active investigations and potential prosecution.
Bediako made the remarks while speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, June 20, where he weighed in on the growing public debate surrounding Ofori-Atta’s stay in the United States and reports regarding his immigration status.
“What we are hearing today has never happened before. I don’t recall where a political appointee serves for years and literally runs away from the jurisdiction.
“We were never told that he was going to run to seek asylum in the US, even as far as getting a Green Card. We were told that he was sick and people even took us on when we wanted to interrogate the issue. He run away under the guise of being sick and his so-called love for Ghana has vanished and he is now seeking refuge in the USA.”
The discussion follows recent reports that the former Finance Minister’s I-485 petition, a key step in the process of obtaining lawful permanent residency in the United States, was approved by a US immigration court on Monday, June 15.
During the interview, Bernard Bediako dismissed attempts to compare Ofori-Atta’s situation with that of former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Attionu-Tamakloe.
According to him, the two cases are fundamentally different because legal proceedings against Sedina Attionu-Tamakloe had already commenced in Ghana before she travelled to the United States for medical treatment.
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