Ghana’s former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, who is wanted at home on suspicion of corruption, has been detained by United States immigration authorities, his lawyers have confirmed.
Ofori-Atta, 66, has been in the United States since January last year undergoing medical treatment, including surgery for prostate cancer. According to his legal team, he recently applied for an extension of his stay.
In a statement issued late Wednesday, the lawyers said 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 the former minister is fully cooperating with immigration authorities.
ICE’s online detainee database lists Ofori-Atta as being held at a facility in the US state of Virginia.
The former finance chief was declared a fugitive by Ghanaian authorities in February last year and was formally charged with corruption in November.
Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s finance minister from 2017 to 2024 under former president Nana Akufo-Addo, a period marked by controversial tax reforms and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund amid the country’s economic crisis.
