Former Ghanaian Finance Minister Ofori-Atta Detained by ICE in U.S.

By Michael Ehindero
Kenneth Ofori-Atta, the former Finance Minister of Ghana, has been taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a statement released by his legal team on Wednesday. The 66-year-old former official, who served under President Nana Akufo-Addo from 2017 to early 2024, is currently being held at a detention facility in Virginia.


The detention appears to center on Ofori-Atta’s immigration status. His lawyers clarified that while he has a pending petition to regularize or extend his stay in the United States, federal authorities moved to detain him earlier this week. Ofori-Atta has resided in the U.S. for over a year, a period his legal team says was necessary for him to undergo medical treatment, including surgery for prostate cancer.


This development follows an intensifying legal battle between Ofori-Atta and the Ghanaian government. In February 2025, authorities in Accra declared the former minister a fugitive after he failed to appear for questioning regarding high-profile corruption investigations. 


Those investigations culminated in November 2025, when the Ghanaian government filed 78 charges against him and six others, alleging procurement fraud and significant financial loss to the state.


The pressure mounted further in December 2025, when Ghana formally requested Ofori-Atta’s extradition from the United States to face trial. His legal representatives have consistently denied the allegations, characterizing the charges as politically motivated. 


While his U.S. legal team expects the immigration matter to be resolved expeditiously, the detention marks a significant turn in the international efforts to return the former financier to Ghana.


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