Former finance minister of Ghana, Kenneth Ofori-Atta, has been detained in the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, his lawyers confirmed on Wednesday.
According to a statement released by his legal team, the detention relates to the status of Ofori-Atta’s stay in the US.
“The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as of yesterday, detained the former Minister for Finance, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, regarding the status of his current stay in the United States,” the statement read.
The lawyers added that Ofori-Atta’s US legal team is actively engaging with ICE and “expects the matter to be resolved expeditiously.”
Ofori-Atta, who has reportedly been in the United States for over a year seeking medical treatment, is currently being held at the Caroline detention facility, according to ICE’s online detainee locator.
The former minister has faced mounting legal challenges in Ghana. In February 2025, he was declared wanted by Ghanaian authorities for failing to attend interviews connected to corruption allegations.
Later, in November 2025, the government formally filed charges against him and six others.
In December 2025, Ghana officially requested Ofori-Atta’s extradition from the US.
Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s finance minister from 2017 to 2024 under the administration of former President Nana Akufo-Addo.
