The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained Kenneth Ofori-Atta, Ghana’s former finance minister, in connection with the status of his stay in the United States.
Ofori-Atta’s lawyers confirmed the development in a statement released on Wednesday, saying the former minister was taken into custody by US immigration authorities on Tuesday. According to the statement, Ofori-Atta has a pending petition relating to his immigration status.
“The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as of yesterday, detained the former Minister for Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, regarding the status of his current stay in the United States,” the lawyers said, adding that his US legal team is in contact with ICE and expects the matter to be resolved swiftly.
Ofori-Atta has reportedly been in the United States for more than a year, primarily for medical treatment. An online ICE detainee locator shows that he is currently being held at the Caroline detention facility.
The detention comes amid ongoing legal troubles for the former minister in Ghana. In February 2025, Ghanaian authorities declared him wanted after he failed to honour invitations for questioning over alleged corruption. The Ghanaian government subsequently filed charges against him and six others in November 2025.
A month later, in December 2025, Ghana formally requested Ofori-Atta’s extradition from the United States to face the charges.
Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s finance minister from 2017 to 2024 under former president Nana Akufo-Addo, overseeing the country’s economic policy during a period marked by fiscal challenges and debt restructuring.
Neither ICE nor Ghanaian authorities have issued further public comments on the detention as of the time of reporting.
Melissa Enoch
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