The Embassy of Ghana in Washington, D.C., has stated that former Finance Minister Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta declined to meet consular officials without his lawyers present after being taken into custody by United States immigration authorities.
In a press release dated January 10, 2026, and signed by Ambassador Victor Smith, the embassy confirmed that it received notice of Ofori-Atta’s detention and subsequently moved to verify the circumstances surrounding the case.
Upon confirmation, the embassy contacted the detention facility to request access to Ofori-Atta and offer consular assistance in line with diplomatic and international protocols. However, officials later informed the embassy that Ofori-Atta declined to speak with consular officers unless his legal representatives were present.
The embassy noted that it remains in communication with relevant U.S. authorities and is monitoring the matter to ensure that Ofori-Atta’s rights are upheld.
The former minister was arrested on January 6, 2026, by officers of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is currently being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia.
According to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, Ofori-Atta’s U.S. visa was revoked in July 2025. He noted that the former minister had been given until November 29, 2025, to leave the country, but did not do so.
“The visa was revoked. So it is not about overstaying,” Dr Ayine said. “This is not an immigration matter. The visa was revoked, and I am saying this on authority.”
Ofori-Atta’s Ghanaian lawyers, Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners, stated in a notice on January 7, 2026, that their client has a pending petition for adjustment of status. This process permits an individual to remain in the U.S. while an application is under review.
Ofori-Atta is scheduled to appear before an immigration judge on January 20, 2026, and retains the right to appeal any decision through the courts.
In November 2025, the Office of the Special Prosecutor filed 78 counts of corruption and related offences against Ofori-Atta in absentia, alleging he played a central role in a scheme that resulted in an estimated $128 million financial loss to the state.
In December 2025, Ghana submitted an extradition request to the U.S. Department of Justice seeking the return of Ofori-Atta and another suspect, Ernest Darko Akore.
Ofori-Atta has been in the United States since January 2025 for medical treatment. He underwent surgery on June 13, 2025, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
