A medical stay in the United States has taken an unexpected turn for one of Ghana’s most high-profile former officials.
Ken Ofori-Atta, the country’s former finance minister, is now in the custody of US immigration authorities, adding a fresh layer of complexity to his already serious legal troubles back home.
Why US Immigration Authorities Stepped In
According to his lawyers, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained the 66-year-old on Tuesday over questions surrounding the status of his stay in the country.
Ofori-Atta has been living in the US since January last year, where he travelled to receive medical care, including surgery related to prostate cancer.
His legal team says he recently applied for an extension of his stay, which appears to be at the centre of ICE’s intervention.
Lawyers Say He Is Cooperating Fully
In a statement released late Wednesday, Ofori-Atta’s lawyers stressed that he is fully cooperating with US immigration officials.
They added that his American legal team is already in contact with ICE and expects the issue to be resolved quickly.
Official records from ICE’s online detainee database show that Ofori-Atta is currently being held at a detention facility in the US state of Virginia.
A Fugitive Status Back in Ghana
While the immigration matter unfolds in the US, Ofori-Atta remains wanted in Ghana.
He was declared a fugitive in February last year and was formally charged with corruption in November.
Ghanaian authorities have accused him of financial misconduct linked to his time in office, allegations he has consistently denied through his lawyers.
A Powerful and Controversial Tenure
Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s finance minister from 2017 until 2024 under former President Nana Akufo-Addo.
During his time in office, he became a central figure in shaping the country’s economic policy, overseeing controversial tax reforms and leading high-stakes negotiations with the International Monetary Fund as Ghana battled severe economic challenges.
His tenure earned both strong defenders and vocal critics, making his current legal and immigration troubles a closely watched story at home and abroad.
What’s Next?
Attention now turns to how quickly US immigration authorities will resolve his detention and whether developments in the United States could affect Ghana’s efforts to bring him back to face corruption charges.
For now, Ofori-Atta remains in custody in Virginia, caught between immigration scrutiny abroad and unresolved legal battles at home.
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