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

Ofori-Atta’s international lawyer, Enayat Qasimi, told Ghana’s state broadcaster that his client is not evading justice and believes the proceedings are politically motivated. Qasimi said the former minister’s whereabouts and medical condition were known to investigators and argued that issuing an Interpol Red Notice was unnecessary. He added that Ofori-Atta is willing to answer all questions and “fully comply with the laws of Ghana”.

Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s finance minister from 2017 until February 2024, when President Nana Akufo-Addo removed him in a cabinet reshuffle. He had overseen Ghana’s response to a severe debt crisis and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, but faced criticism over soaring inflation and currency depreciation.

Ghana’s ruling New Patriotic Party then lost the December 2024 general election; former president John Dramani Mahama won the presidency after his rival Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia conceded defeat. Mahama, who campaigned on anti-corruption pledges, also secured a parliamentary majority for his National Democratic Congress.

Cooperation and tensions with the United States

Relations between Accra and Washington have been cooperative in some areas despite the current extradition dispute. In September 2025 President Mahama announced that Ghana would accept West African nationals deported from the United States and had already facilitated the transit of 14 deportees to their home countries. He said the arrangement recognised that West Africans can enter Ghana without visas. However, Ghana has also criticised recent U.S. foreign-policy moves.

On 4 January 2026 the Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned what it called a unilateral U.S. military invasion of Venezuela and demanded the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, describing the reported abduction as a violation of international law. The ministry warned that such actions undermine the sovereignty of states and called for de-escalation. These statements highlight Accra’s willingness to cooperate on migration issues while resisting perceived overreach in other areas.

Next steps

ICE has not publicly commented on Ofori-Atta’s detention, and it is unclear how long he will remain in custody. Ghana’s extradition request is now with U.S. authorities for review. If U.S. courts find probable cause and the Secretary of State approves, he could be transferred to Ghana to stand trial. Until then, his legal team says they will continue to seek an immigration status adjustment and challenge what they describe as politically driven charges.

The source: The BBC