Ken Ofori-Atta, is a former Minister of Finance
The Embassy of Ghana in Washington, DC, has confirmed that Ghana’s former Minister for Finance, Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, has been taken into custody by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In a press release issued on Friday, January 10, 2026, and signed by Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Emmanuel Smith, the Embassy said it received information regarding Ofori-Atta’s detention and immediately took steps to verify the circumstances surrounding the matter.
According to the statement, following confirmation of the detention, the Embassy formally contacted the relevant detention facility to request access to Ofori-Atta in order to provide consular assistance, in line with established diplomatic and international protocols.
However, officials at the facility informed the Embassy that Ofori-Atta declined to engage with consular officers at the time, indicating that he wished to do so only in the presence of his lawyers.
“Upon receiving this information, the Embassy undertook the necessary steps to verify the circumstances surrounding the matter.
“Following confirmation, the Embassy formally contacted the relevant detention facility to request access to Ofori-Atta in order to provide consular assistance in line with established diplomatic and international protocols.
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“The Embassy was informed by the facility that the detainee declined to engage with consular officials at that time without his lawyers present, “part of the statement said.
The Embassy of Ghana remains in contact with the appropriate United States authorities and will continue to follow the matter closely to ensure that Mr. Ofori Atta’s rights are totally respected.
Ken Ofori-Atta has been charged with corruption and corruption-related offences in Ghana for his role in the SML scandal, with the government of Ghana requesting his extradition from the government of the United States.
“In July 2025, a source close to Ken Ofori-Atta told me he had no intention of coming back to Ghana to face justice, citing, among others, the likelihood that he would be humiliated by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) if he submitted himself.
“His lawyers claimed that his arrest and detention by ICE, relate to “the status of his current stay in the United States,” Manasseh Azure said.
However, the Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has revealed that Ken Ofori-Atta’s US visa was revoked in July 2025, and the US Department of State gave him up to November 29, 2025, to leave the United States.
He is expected to appear in court on January 20, 2026, in the United States regarding his current arrest.
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