Ghana’s former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and a declared fugitive from his country’s justice system, has been taken into custody by United States immigration authorities, his legal team confirmed late Wednesday.
In a statement, Ofori-Atta’s lawyers said the detention is linked to his immigration status and not a criminal matter in the United States.
“Ofori-Atta has a pending petition for adjustment of status,” the legal team said, describing the process as a routine mechanism under U.S. immigration law that allows eligible individuals to remain in the country beyond the validity of an initial visa.
Data from ICE’s online detainee locator showed that the 66-year-old is being held at the Caroline Detention Centre in Virginia.
Ofori-Atta has been in the United States since January 2025, where he travelled for medical treatment related to prostate cancer, according to his legal team.
Legal Troubles in Ghana
His stay in the US has coincided with mounting legal troubles in Ghana. He has been under investigation for more than a year over alleged corruption and abuse of office during his tenure as finance minister.
In November 2025, Ghanaian prosecutors formally charged him, accusing him of causing substantial financial losses to the state through a series of allegedly irregular transactions involving public funds. The charges form part of a broader anti-corruption drive targeting senior officials of the previous administration.
In February 2025, Ghanaian courts declared Ofori-Atta a fugitive after he failed to return to the country to face the allegations, despite repeated summonses.
Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s finance minister from 2017 to 2024 under former president Nana Akufo-Addo. He played a central role in shaping Ghana’s fiscal policy during a period marked by rising debt, currency depreciation, and eventually a balance-of-payments crisis that forced the government into negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
While U.S. authorities have not indicated that the detention is connected to Ghana’s corruption case, legal experts note that unresolved immigration status can trigger ICE action regardless of an individual’s prominence or ongoing foreign legal disputes.
