Ghana ex‑finance minister detained by ICE over visa, faces extradition

Former Ghana finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta, Ghana’s former finance minister who faces multiple corruption charges at home, has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over an alleged visa overstay. His Ghana-based law firm said the 66-year-old was taken into custody on 6 January by ICE officials in Virginia while seeking to extend his stay for medical treatment.

The case has drawn attention because Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) wants him extradited to face trial and because he served as finance minister from 2017 until February 2024.

Detention and immigration status

According to a statement by the law firm Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners, Ofori-Atta has a pending petition for adjustment of status, which would allow him to remain in the United States beyond his original visa expiry. ICE took him into custody to resolve questions about his current status. The lawyers said his U.S. legal team is in contact with ICE and expects the matter to be resolved “expeditiously”. They stressed that he is cooperating fully and described him as a law-abiding person. The BBC originally reported the detention, citing similar statements from his representatives.

Medical treatment in the United States

Ofori-Atta has been outside Ghana for more than a year receiving medical care. An official case chronology published by the OSP shows he left Ghana around 2 January 2025 and subsequently informed investigators that he required indefinite medical treatment. He has been treated for prostate cancer and underwent a radical prostatectomy at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on 13 June 2025. He has also been managing a post-COVID-19 multi-system inflammatory condition requiring ongoing monitoring.

Charges and extradition

The OSP has opened several corruption investigations against Ofori-Atta and other former officials. An official press briefing by Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng listed alleged irregularities, including contracts between Strategic Mobilization Ghana Limited and the Ghana Revenue Authority, the termination of a loss-reduction project with a Chinese firm, payments related to the National Cathedral project and a fleet of ambulances, and the handling of tax refund accounts.

The briefing described Ofori-Atta as a fugitive after he failed to appear for questioning in February 2025. In November 2025 the OSP formally charged him and seven co-accused with 28 counts of corruption and corruption-related offences, and Ghana’s attorney-general later forwarded an extradition request to U.S. authorities. The pending cases allege the accused individuals influenced procurement processes and caused financial losses through contracts awarded to SML.

Lawyers’ response