Ken Ofori-Atta, the former Finance Minister of Ghana, has been detained by U.S. immigration authorities due to unresolved legal issues in his native country, where he is accused of corruption.
According to documents from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Ofori-Atta, 66, who was Ghana’s finance minister from 2017 to 2024, is being detained at an immigration facility in Virginia.
Ofori-Atta was detained on Tuesday due to concerns about the “status of his current stay in the United States,” according to a statement issued by his legal team on Wednesday. The statement also stated that Ofori-Atta had applied to have his visa extended after undergoing medical treatment, which included prostate cancer surgery.
The attorneys stated that Ofori-Atta was fully assisting authorities and that “his US legal team is in contact with ICE and expects the matter to be resolved expeditiously.”
In February 2025, Ghanaian authorities proclaimed the former minister a fugitive; in November of the same year, formal charges of corruption were brought against him. Since January 2025, he has not been back to Ghana.
The accusations are related to his time working for former President Nana Akufo-Addo, when he oversaw crucial talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and spearheaded contentious tax measures.
The legal team did not reveal if Ofori-Atta intends to return to Ghana for trial or when he would be freed.
