GHANA’S former Minister of Finance, Kenneth Nana Yaw Kuntunkunuku Ofori-Atta, will appear before an immigration judge in the United States of America (USA) on January 20, after he was arrested for refusing to leave the United States, Dr Dominic Ayine, Ghana’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice has said.
Appearing on Joy News’ Newsfile on Saturday, Dr Ayine stated the U.S. Department of State gave Mr Ofori-Atta up to November 29, 2025, to leave the United States upon the revocation of his B1B2 visa, but he refused to do so.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice explained that appearance of Mr Ofori-Atta before an immigration judge on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, was different from the extradition process.
Mr Ofori-Atta, who left Ghana for the United States on January 4, 2025, for medical treatment at Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, was arrested on the morning of January 6, 2026, in Washington, D.C., by agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the United States.
Until his arrest by ICE, the former Minister of Finance was declared a fugitive of justice by Ghana’s Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) in connection with corruption and corruption-related offences.
Mr Ofori-Atta, Strategic Mobilisation Limited, a revenue assurance company, and six others were charged with 78 counts of alleged procurement breaches and causing financial loss of GH¢1.4 billion to the state. The trial is ongoing before a high court in Accra.
The facts are that Ken Ofori-Atta was arrested when he emerged from a magnificent luxury apartment building, where he had been living in the U.S., by the ICE, when agents surrounded him, led him into a vehicle, and drove him away to a detention facility 89 miles away.
He was driven to the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia, about an hour and a half drive from where he was arrested.
Mr Ofori-Atta was arrested at the entrance of the Westlight apartment complex in Washington, D.C. The Westlight building is located at 1111 24th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Sources say Ken Ofori-Atta, until his arrest and detention, lived in the Westlight building with his son and his wife. The Westlight Building is less than a mile from the White House, about 20 minutes’ walk.
Located in the affluent West End neighborhood of Washington, D.C., the Westlight building is renowned for its security and proximity to some of the city’s most significant landmarks, attracting affluent and prominent residents.
Mr Ofori-Atta travelled on a Ghanaian passport that has valid visas to the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. Mr Ofori-Atta’s U.S. visa will expire on February 14, 2026. His UK Visa will expire on April 21, 2032, and his Canadian visa will expire on May 31, 2031.
Meanwhile, Dr Justice Edem Srem-Sai, the Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, has disclosed on TV3 KEYPOINTS that Mr Ofori-Atta declined diplomatic assistance from Ghana’s mission in Washington DC.
“Currently, the Ghana Embassy in Washington, DC is trying to assist the former Finance Minister whilst in detention, but he is refusing to collaborate with the Ghanaian mission in assisting him to be removed from the detention centre,” he said.
Dr Justice Srem-Sai stated that the government is keen on ensuring that the former Finance Minister is deported home to face justice, as the state security is exploring other options for his deportation.
“The fact that law enforcement has picked someone up and has detained the person under this ICE program should tell us that there is some illegality involved. There is a criminal aspect to the matter. That is, ICE is a law enforcement agency, and a law enforcement agency will not come and arrest you on civil matters,” he said.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA & BERNARD BENGHAN
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