United States immigration authorities have detained Ghana’s former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, over issues linked to his visa status, in a development that has added an international dimension to his mounting legal troubles at home.
Ofori-Atta, who served as Ghana’s finance minister from January 2017 until February 2024, has been in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since January 6, according to his legal team. The detention, they say, is strictly related to immigration documentation and not connected to Ghana’s ongoing efforts to secure his extradition.
The former minister has been residing in the United States since 2025 after leaving Ghana for medical treatment. His lawyers say he had applied for an extension of his visa and is also pursuing an adjustment of status to allow him to remain in the country legally while undergoing care. They describe him as cooperative and confident that the matter will be resolved through legal channels.
U.S. authorities have not publicly commented on the case, but immigration experts note that visa overstays, even when linked to medical reasons, can trigger detention if paperwork lapses or applications are not finalised in time.
The development comes as Ofori-Atta faces serious legal challenges in Ghana. Prosecutors have filed multiple corruption and procurement-related charges against him, linked to decisions taken during his tenure overseeing the country’s finances. The allegations cover a range of contracts and fiscal measures implemented between 2017 and 2024, a period marked by rising public debt, an International Monetary Fund bailout, and intense political scrutiny of government spending.
In December 2025, Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor confirmed that it had formally transmitted an extradition request through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, seeking Ofori-Atta’s return to face trial. Legal analysts in Accra have stressed, however, that extradition is a separate legal process and that the former minister’s current detention in the United States is unrelated to that request.
Under U.S. law, extradition proceedings typically involve federal courts and diplomatic coordination, and do not automatically result in immigration detention unless there are independent violations of immigration rules.
The case has drawn strong public attention in Ghana, where Ofori-Atta remains a deeply polarising figure. Supporters argue he was steering the economy through unprecedented global shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and global inflation, while critics accuse him of mismanagement and abuse of office.
Diplomatic sources say relations between Ghana and the United States remain stable, with both countries cooperating on security, migration, and law enforcement matters. Any extradition process, they add, is likely to be lengthy and subject to legal challenges.
For now, Ofori-Atta’s immediate fate rests with U.S. immigration authorities and the outcome of his visa adjustment process, even as pressure continues to build in Ghana for his return to face the courts.
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