The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, on December 18, 2025, disclosed that embattled former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta has hired top-notch US lawyers to fight his extradition.

Speaking during the Government Accountability Series, Dr Ayine described the lawyers as “very experienced.”

Ken Ofori-Atta's international lawyer speaks on his extradition saga

The Attorney General’s description has since raised eyebrows, with members of the public keen to know the calibre of the international legal team and what they are capable of.

In response, GhanaWeb’s research has uncovered the profile of one of the lawyers, identified as Enayat Qasimi.

Qasimi is a seasoned international legal practitioner whose career spans high-level government service, global finance, and cross-border dispute resolution.

Currently, he is a Partner and Co-Chair of the International Practice at the US-based law firm Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, where he is based in Washington, DC.

His work focuses on international business transactions, private equity, venture capital, and alternative dispute resolution.

He advises a wide range of US and international clients, including corporations, investment funds, institutional investors, multilateral lenders, law firms, and private individuals.

Qasimi brings extensive experience in complex international transactions, particularly across the Middle East, North Africa, and South and Central Asia.

His portfolio includes advising leading US government contracting firms and law firms on conducting business in high-risk and emerging markets such as Afghanistan, covering areas including corporate structuring, taxation, investments, banking, labour, compliance, internal investigations, strategic planning, and dispute resolution.

Before joining Whiteford, Qasimi served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of a Saudi-based investment banking firm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he played a central role in managing legal and regulatory issues related to cross-border finance and investments.

His background also includes significant public-sector experience. Qasimi previously worked with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, serving in several senior roles, including Minister of Civil Aviation and Transport, Senior Foreign Affairs Adviser, and Senior Legal Adviser to the President during the enactment of Afghanistan’s Constitution.

His involvement at the heart of constitutional and governance reforms also places him among a small group of lawyers with direct experience in state-building and constitutional processes.

Beyond government and private practice, Qasimi has worked extensively with non-profit organisations and international institutions on legislative reform, rule-of-law initiatives, development, and capacity-building projects in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He has also served as a Non-Resident Senior Associate with the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC, contributing policy and strategic insights on regional affairs.

His expertise has earned international recognition. He was ranked by Chambers Global in General Business Law for Afghanistan between 2017 and 2018. Within the legal profession, he holds several key memberships, including serving on Whiteford’s Executive Committee, membership of the Maryland State Bar Association, and appointment as a court member of the International Court of Arbitration for Afghanistan.

Qasimi is fluent in Pashto, Farsi, and Urdu, a skill set that complements his extensive work across multilingual and multicultural jurisdictions.

He holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Maryland School of Law, an MBA from the University of Baltimore, and a Bachelor of Arts from Bard College. He is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and Maryland.

With a career that bridges international finance, government advisory roles, and complex cross-border legal work, Enayat Qasimi brings deep global experience to the legal team representing Ken Ofori-Atta, reinforcing the international dimension of the former minister’s legal defence against his extradition to Ghana.

What he told the BBC:

Enayat Qasimi disclosed that the ongoing GRA–SML case against his client is "politically motivated", insisting that Ofori-Atta is not evading justice.

In an interview with the BBC shared on December 24, 2025, Qasimi said Ken Ofori-Atta is committed to abiding by the laws of Ghana and answering any questions regarding his tenure as Finance Minister.

“He’s committed to fully complying with the laws of Ghana, and he’s fully committed to answering for anything that he did when he was Finance Minister. There’s absolutely no question about that. The question is, is he being given the rights that he’s guaranteed under Ghanaian law? He’s not. He’s never been,” Qasimi said.

Ofori-Atta has hired top lawyers in the US but I'm not afraid – AG

The lawyer added that Ghanaian authorities were aware that Ofori-Atta was in the United States, making the issuance of a red notice unnecessary.

“Ofori-Atta was receiving treatment in the US. They knew this all along. There was no purpose for issuing the red notice, but they went ahead and issued it,” he said.



MAG/MA