Ken Ofori-Atta’s US visa was revoked, he did not overstay - Ayine reveals
The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has revealed that Ghana’s former Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, lost his legal immigration status in the United States after his visa was formally revoked by the US State Department, contrary to widespread claims that he had overstayed.
The disclosure comes amid public debate following assertions by Mr Ofori-Atta’s lawyers that he had been detained in the United States over immigration-related concerns. Those claims had raised questions about the circumstances surrounding his continued stay in the country.
Appearing on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday [Jan 10, 2026], Dr Ayine explained that the former minister’s visa was cancelled in July 2025, after which US authorities granted him a window to leave voluntarily.
“I want Ghanaians to know that he just didn’t overstay his visa. The visa was actually revoked,” Dr Ayine said. “They gave him up to November 29 of 2025 to leave the United States. He did not.”
Mr Ofori-Atta, who left Ghana last year on medical grounds according to his legal team, has since been the subject of extradition proceedings initiated by the Ghanaian government. His lawyers have resisted the request, insisting that the allegations against him are politically motivated.
Confirmation of his detention later emerged from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which published his details on its official website. The listing showed that Mr Ofori-Atta was being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia and is scheduled to appear before a US court on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
In a public notice issued by his Ghana-based lawyers, Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners, the legal team stated that the former minister had already applied for an adjustment of his immigration status and expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved.
Dr Ayine further disclosed that Mr Ofori-Atta’s arrest did not occur as initially planned. According to him, US authorities had intended to apprehend the former minister on January 4, 2026, but the move fell through. He said Mr Ofori-Atta was eventually arrested on Tuesday, January 6, in the Virginia area and taken into custody.
The Attorney General cautioned against treating the matter as a simple immigration breach, arguing that the revocation of the visa was deliberate and connected to ongoing investigations.
“This is not exactly about immigration. His visa has not expired. It expires in February. No, it was revoked. I am telling you this on authority,” he emphasised.
Dr Ayine also disclosed that the decision by US authorities followed sustained engagement with Ghanaian officials, particularly in relation to an extradition request submitted by his office.
“The extradition request that I sent was in respect of the OSP – the SME matter,” he said. “I have been working with the Americans diligently on him. And the visa was revoked. And that is how come that he lost his immigration status in the United States.”
