Ken Ofori-Atta Makes First Public Appearance After Detention in US
- Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta made his first court appearance after being detained in the US for overstaying his visa
- The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has previously described him as an illegal alien in comments to the media
- The Special Prosecutor is leading efforts to extradite the former minister from the US amid his immigation struggles
Ghanaians got their first glimpse of beleaguered former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in his detention in the US.
While many are accustomed to seeing Ofori-Atta wearing white, he attended his immigration case hearing in black, wearing a facemask.
Source: UGC
After the glimpse Ghanaians got of him, his hearing, which is taking place in a US immigration court in Virginia, was made private at the request of his lawyers.
Ghanaians had seen enough to make fun of his appearance online.
"From white white in Ghana to black in a US detention centre," one person tweeted.
There were also questions about why the former minister would endure this embarrassment instead of just returning home to Ghana.
"But why is Ken Ofori-Atta tarnishing his own image? You claim you are innocent so just come and defend your innocence."
Ofori-Atta is wanted in Ghana because of alleged corruption when he was a minister. The Special Prosecutor was leading efforts to extradite him from the US, as he is being investigated for alleged corruption in five different cases.
The special prosecutor formally charged the former minister on November 18 in the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana scandal, and is currently fighting to have an INTERPOL red notice removed.
US authorities contend that the former finance minister no longer has a lawful status to remain in the country, with officials indicating that his visitor visa was revoked.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Ofori-Atta on January 7. ICE described him as an illegal alien who overstayed his visa.
Read also
Protesters storm U.S. Embassy in Accra to demand Ofori-Atta’s extradition: "Bring back Ken"
ICE added that the former Finance Minister’s conduct amounts to a violation of US immigration law, which could result in deportation.
Source: Getty Images
3News reported that an ICE spokesperson provided this clarification, saying his visa had an expiration date of November 27, 2025.
“Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta is an illegal alien from Ghana who is facing corruption and corruption-related charges in his home country. He entered the United States on May 28, 2025, on a visitor’s visa with an expiration date of Nov. 27, 2025. Ofori-Atta overstayed his permitted admission.”
“The Trump administration has been abundantly clear: aliens must respect our laws or face the consequences. Overstaying a visa is an immigration law violation that can result in deportation.”
ICE noted that Ofori-Atta will remain in custody as he is taken through the due process of law.
How Ken Ofori-Atta was arrested
According to journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, Ofori-Atta was arrested around 11 am on January 6, 2026, when he stepped out of his apartment in the Westlight building, a high-end residential complex located at 1111 24th Street in Northwest Washington, DC.
The Westlight building is situated in one of Washington, DC’s most affluent neighbourhoods, about a 20-minute walk from the White House, and is known to house prominent personalities.
According to Manasseh, the arrest of the former Finance Minister seemed like a targeted operation since it didn't look like the typical mass arrest carried out in public places.
Ofori-Atta declined to meet with Ghana's consular officers in the US without his lawyers when his detention became public, according to an embassy statement on Facebook.
Concern about Ofori-Atta's health status
YEN.com.gh reported that Ghana’s Ambassador to the US, Victor Smith, said Ofori-Atta was medically fit to be held in a detention centre before he was detained.
Ofori-Atta was in the US on medical grounds, and there were concerns about his health under ICE detention.
Smith said ICE arranged for medical personnel to assess Ofori-Atta shortly after his arrest.
Source: YEN.com.gh
