The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested and detained Ghanaian former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta over his residency status in the country. He was detained on Tuesday at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia, which was stated on the ICE official website.
According to reports, the detention of the Ken Ofori-Atta is related to immigration issues. His Lawyers said in a statement that his US legal team is in contact with ICE and expects to resolve the matter quickly.
“Mr Ofori-Atta has a pending petition for adjustment of status, which allows a person to remain legally in the US beyond the validity period of their visa,” the statement signed by Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo explained
They added that under US law, this type of arrangement that allows people to petition for adjustment of status is common. “Mr Ken Ofori-Atta is a law-abiding individual and is fully cooperating with ICE to address this matter,” the lawyers’ statement added.
According to the ICE website, adjustment of status is the process by which a person applies to become a lawful permanent resident of the US. This means the former finance minister applied for permanent residency status in the US at a time when authorities in Ghana were pursuing him to face prosecution in the country.
On 18 December, Ghana’s Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, confirmed that his office had formally sent an extradition request for the former finance minister and his alleged accomplice, Ernest Akore, who was Ken’s chief of staff while he served as finance minister, to the United States.
Dr. Ayine confirmed that the process began on 19 November 2025 when they submitted a request for the commencement of extradition proceedings against the two individual. He further added during that press conference that the request was submitted to the US Department of Justice and that the decision now rests with American authorities.
“At this point, it is the US authorities, especially the judicial authorities, who will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to require that the two accused persons, the former finance minister and his chief of staff be extradited to Ghana to stand trial.”
According to Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, the former minister and other accused persons conspired to set up a “criminal enterprise that directly and indirectly influenced the country’s procurement process to win contracts for the company (SML).”
“The SML company gained an unfair advantage to secure transaction audit services, external price verification services, measurement audits for downstream petroleum products and others from the Ghanaian government through the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority.”
Kissi Agyebeng said the criminal enterprise began in 2017 and involved former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, Emmanuel Kofi Nti (former GRA commissioner), Evans Adusei, and the SML company itself. Also saying that they failed to ensure value for money in the contracts awarded to SML, causing a financial loss of GH¢1.4 billion ($128 million).
Ghanaian President John Mahama, after ordering an investigation into the matter, directed the Ministry of Finance to cancel the contract with SML on 31 October 2025. As a result of these issues, the suspects were charged with 78 counts.
Lawyers for the embattled former minister said their client is in the US seeking medical attention and would make himself available to face accountability if he is able to, and also said that the former minister did nothing wrong during his time in office.
However, the Office of the Special Prosecutor rejected this explanation, accusing the former minister of evading justice over his seven-year tenure as the country’s finance minister.
