Ghana’s former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta
United States (US) immigration authorities have detained Ghana’s former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, who is wanted in his home country over alleged corruption, according to his legal team.
Ofori-Atta, 66, has been in the United States since January last year for medical reasons, including surgery related to prostate cancer.
In a statement released late Wednesday, his lawyers said the former minister—who was declared a fugitive in February and formally charged with corruption in November—had applied for an extension of his stay in the US.
They disclosed that officers of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took Ofori-Atta into custody on Tuesday over “the status of his current stay in the United States.”
“His US legal team is in contact with ICE and expects the matter to be resolved expeditiously,” the statement said, adding that Ofori-Atta was fully cooperating with immigration authorities.
Checks on ICE’s online detainee database showed that the former finance minister is being held at a facility in the US state of Virginia.
Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s finance minister from 2017 to 2024 under former president Nana Akufo-Addo. During his tenure, he oversaw controversial tax reforms and led negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), policies that sparked intense public debate in Ghana.
His detention comes amid ongoing efforts by Ghanaian authorities to have him answer corruption-related charges at home.
AFP
