Former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has become one of the most wanted politicians for investigative bodies since President John Dramani Mahama assumed office.
As part of measures to fight corruption, the initiative titled Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) was established to track down corrupt officials and bring them to justice.
However, the former finance minister, who had been declared wanted, fled to the United States for refuge and refused to return.
In a twist of events, Ofori-Atta’s attempt to remain in hiding led to further trouble, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained him for overstaying his visa.
PHOTOS: See inside the ICE detention facility Ken Ofori-Atta spent the night in
This GhanaWeb article highlights Ofori-Atta’s woes in his attempt to escape investigation and possible prosecution.
Why Ken Ofori-Atta is under investigation
Ken Ofori-Atta is currently under investigation for five major issues during his tenure:
– Contractual arrangements related to petroleum and minerals revenue assurance between Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA);
– Termination of a contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana and Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology (BXC);
– Procurement procedures and financial transactions linked to the National Cathedral project;
– A Ministry of Health contract for the purchase and maintenance of 307 ambulances with Service Ghana Auto Group Limited; and
– Handling and disbursement of funds from the Tax P-Fund Account of the GRA.
Special Prosecutor Declares Ofori-Atta Wanted
On February 18, 2025, Ofori-Atta appealed to the OSP to remove his name from the wanted list and provided a definite return date in May 2025. The OSP accepted his assurance and subsequently removed his name.
Following these allegations, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) declared the former minister a fugitive for failing to voluntarily submit himself for trial.
In March 2025, the former minister filed a lawsuit against the OSP, seeking compensation for what he described as an unlawful declaration of him as wanted, and requested the removal of related publications from the OSP’s social media channels.
The High Court in Accra (Human Rights Court) heard an interim application on March 28, 2025, in which Ofori-Atta sought to bar the OSP from declaring him wanted again.
Following these proceedings, the OSP gave a final deadline of June 2, 2025, for Ofori-Atta to report in person to its headquarters which the former minister ignored.
During a press briefing on June 2, 2025, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng stated that Ofori-Atta’s conduct demonstrated a lack of cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
Despite repeated invitations, the former minister refused to appear before the OSP, with his legal team requesting extensions, citing medical reasons.
The OSP dismissed these justifications, noting that the doctor’s letter lacked a detailed medical report confirming his inability to attend. The office accused Ofori-Atta of acting in bad faith, emphasising that suspects cannot dictate the terms of an investigation.
Attorney General on Ofori-Atta’s Arrest
Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, announced that his office had formally requested the extradition of Ken Ofori-Atta and an alleged accomplice, Ernest Darko Kore, from the United States.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Thursday, December 18, 2025, Dr Ayine stated that the OSP had, on November 19, 2025, initiated the process of securing the extradition of the accused persons.
He explained that following a preliminary review, the International Cooperation Unit of the Attorney General’s Department identified gaps in the documentation, which required enhancement to meet legal and procedural standards.
“As a result, we communicated our observations to the Office of the Special Prosecutor in a letter dated November 25, 2025, and requested additional documentation to ensure completeness,” he said.
He added that his office subsequently transmitted the complete extradition request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 10, 2025, for onward submission to the appropriate authorities in the United States, specifically the Department of Justice.
ICE Arrest
But then on January 7, 2026, Ken Ofori-Atta was detained by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to a public notice by his lawyers, the former finance minister was arrested in relation to the status of his current stay in the United States.
“The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as of yesterday (6 January 2026), detained the former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, regarding the status of his current stay in the United States. His US legal team is in contact with ICE and expects the matter to be resolved expeditiously,” part of the notice signed by Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo read.
The lawyers of the former finance minister, who is a suspect in multiple corruption-related investigations and has been declared a wanted fugitive in Ghana, said that he is currently working on documents regarding his stay in the US.
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