Ken Ofori-Atta
A United States Immigration judge has ordered the federal government to provide proof of an extradition request made by Ghana against former Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, who is facing the possibility of being deported for overstaying his US visitor visa.
The judge gave the order after US State Attorneys, as part of their opposition to an application for bail, informed the court that Mr. Ofori-Atta is a subject of an extradition request.
The former Finance Minister appeared before the court in Virginia on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 via a web access for allegedly remaining in the US following the expiration of his visa.
Tuesday’s hearing focused on an application for bail, with his lawyer urging the court to grant him bail pending the determination of his status in the US.
The judge, David A. Gardey, could not take a decision on the application following the US Attorney’s objection on ground that there was no evidence before the court that an extradition request had been submitted against Mr. Ofori-Atta.
The court subsequently adjourned the bond hearing to February 19, after asking the federal government to provide proof of the extradition request on or before February 19, 2026.
The adjournment means Mr. Ofori-Atta will remain in the custody of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending the determination of his bail application.
A member of his legal team, Frank Davies, has indicated that Ghanaian authorities have 30 working days within which to provide “ample proof of extradition proceedings to the judge, after which the judge will decide one way or the other to release Ken from detention custody and admit him to his freedom temporarily.”
Mr. Ofori-Atta made his first appearance before a court since his arrest and detention on January 6, 2026, for overstaying his visa in the United States.
The hearing, which was conducted in private at the request of his legal team, attracted international attention with hundreds of individuals joining the online session to catch a glimpse of the proceeding.
The proceeding was however, closed to the public after Christopher Chaisson, one of Mr. Ofori-Atta’s lawyers indicated that sensitive matters surrounding the case would be discussed.
Just some few minute after the case was called, the judge asked the lawyer if he would want the case to be closed to the public, a suggestion the lawyer agreed to, indicating that he was just about to make the request himself.
The judge, therefore, closed the proceeding to the public asking any person on the webex who was not part of the case to leave the hearing before the court could proceed.
Meanwhile, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has indicated that he is hopeful that Mr. Ofori-Atta will return to Ghana, as the US Justice Department is actively working on an extradition request.
Speaking to JoyNews, Dr. Ayine said he has been closely monitoring the former minister’s US immigration case and has received confidential briefings on the matter.
“I monitored the hearing yesterday, and I have had reports from the United States regarding what has happened and what may happen, but these are confidential discussions,” he said. “The Justice Department is working on the extradition request. I am very hopeful,” he said.
Dr. Ayine clarified that the ongoing proceedings are distinct from the extradition request initiated by Ghana.
“What is happening now is in relation to immigration law violations. That is separate and distinct from the extradition request. The Justice Department would have to formally file that before the immigration judge,” he added.
Mr. Ofori-Atta is wanted in Ghana to face charges of corruption and related offences related to some decision he took during his tenure as Minister for Finance under the erstwhile Nana Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), has charged him and seven others over the controversial revenue assurance contract awarded to Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), allegedly costing the nation over GH¢1.4 billion in “financial loss.”
BY Gibril Abdul Razak
