Ofori-Atta declines Ghanaian Embassy support unless...
Former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has declined to engage consular officials of the Ghana Embassy in the United States of America (USA) — following his detention by American authorities — unless with the involvement of his lawyers.
The embassy, in a statement signed by the country’s envoy to the US, Victor Emmanuel Smith, and issued last Saturday said despite the former Finance Minister’s cold reception to the offer, it would remain in contact with the appropriate US authorities to ensure that his rights were protected.
“The embassy was informed by the facility that the detainee declined to engage with consular officials at that time without his lawyers presence.
“The Embassy of Ghana remains in contact with the appropriate United States authorities, and will continue to follow the matter closely to ensure that Mr Ofori-Atta's rights are totally respected,” it said.
Confirmation
The embassy confirmed that Mr Ofori-Atta had been taken into custody by the Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) officers of the US, and said it took the necessary steps to verify the circumstances surrounding his detention.
“Upon receiving this information, the embassy undertook the necessary steps to verify the circumstances surrounding the matter,” it said.
The embassy added that following the confirmation, it also formally contacted the relevant detention facility to request access to Mr Ofori-Atta in order to provide consular assistance in line with established diplomatic and international protocols, which was declined by the detainee.
New revelations
Revelations by the Ministry of Justice and Office of the Attorney-General, however, indicate that Mr Ofori-Atta’s American visa was revoked around July 2025, with authorities issuing him an ultimatum to leave the country by November last year.
The Attorney-General (A-G), Dr Dominic Ayine, appearing on a Joy FM talk show last Saturday, said he had become aware of the revocation of Mr Ofori-Atta’s American visa during the A-G Office’s efforts to have Mr Ofori-Atta extradited to face corruption related charges back home.
The revelation run counter to an earlier information put out by local lawyers representing the former minister.
That communication had suggested that Mr Ofori-Atta was being held in connection with his visa status, which was originally to expire in February this year.
Background
The former Finance Minister, who was taken into ICE’s custody on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, is being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia, US.
Dr Ayine debunked suggestions that Mr Ofori-Atta had overstayed his visa in the US, clarifying that the former Finance Minister’s visa was revoked in July last year.
“The visa was actually revoked. So, it’s not that Ofori-Atta overstayed. In July, the US State Department revoked his visa and gave him up to November 29, 2025 (to leave the country), which he did not. That is how come he was pursued and arrested.
He said the arrest was supposed to have occurred on Sunday, January 4 this year.
However, Mr Ofori-Atta is scheduled to be heard in a US court on Tuesday, January 20 this year as lawyers for the former Finance Minister in the US work to have his stay extended in the US to prevent a possible deportation to Ghana.
Legal cases
Mr Ofori-Atta, along with five others, is currently facing more than 70 charges in the country over a number of cases, chief among them being the financial loss of more than GH¢1.4 billion to the state in the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) contract saga.
He was previously declared a fugitive by the Office of the Special Prosecutor, which accused him of fleeing from justice over the corruption allegations.
Mr Ofori-Atta, who went to the US under the excuse of seeking medical attention at the beginning of last year, has since not returned to the country, despite a commitment to return in the course of last year.
There is also an arrest warrant seeking to bring him back to Ghana to stand trial for allegedly engaging in corruption with the five others.
