Mahama Speaks on Efforts to Extradite Ken Ofori-Atta: “We Just Have to be Patient”
- President John Mahama refrained from commenting on Ofori-Atta's extradition, citing US jurisdictional boundaries
- Ghana is seeking Ofori-Atta's return over corruption allegations from his tenure at the finance ministry
- Ofori-Atta, who was detained in an ICE detention facility in Virginia for visa overstay, faces multiple corruption charges in Ghana
President John Mahama has spoken on the ongoing proceedings to extradite former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Mahama shied away from any substantive comments, saying the matter lay in the jurisdiction of the US.
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corruption, money-laundering, and abuse-of-office charges at a Presidential Dialogue with Civil Society Organisations at Jubilee House on March 30, the president said it would be inappropriate for him to make pronouncements on a case being handled outside Ghana’s authority.
“I cannot comment on the extradition of our former Finance Minister because it is in a different jurisdiction… we just have to be patient for the law to play out in that jurisdiction."
The president's remarks came amid Ghana’s formal request to the US government seeking the return of Ofori-Atta to face multiple corruption-related allegations linked to his time in office between 2017 and 2024.
The former minister is currently in the US, where he was detained earlier this year by federal immigration authorities over visa-related issues.
The former Finance Minister during the Akufo-Addo administration is facing multiple corruption, money-laundering, and abuse-of-office charges, including allegations that the Strategic Mobilisation Limited contract caused a financial loss of more than GH¢1.4 billion to the state.
About Ofori-Atta's legal battles in the US
Ofori-Atta is simultaneously fighting efforts by the Trump administration to deport him for allegedly violating US immigration laws, as well as an extradition request by the Government of Ghana seeking his return to face charges over alleged criminal conduct during his tenure as Finance Minister between 2017 and 2024.
In January 2026, Ken Ofori-Atta appeared before a US court seeking to change his immigration status.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Ofori-Atta on 7 January 2026 for visa overstaying.
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ICE described him as an illegal immigrant who had overstayed his visa, adding that his conduct amounts to a violation of US immigration law, which could result in deportation.
US authorities have confirmed that Ofori-Atta no longer has lawful status to remain in the country, with officials indicating that his visitor visa was revoked.
A lawyer representing the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has indicated that his client is pursuing permanent US residency instead of returning to Ghana, where he fears he would not be tried fairly on corruption charges.
Ofori-Atta refuses to meet with Ghana's Embassy
YEN.com.gh reported that the Embassy of Ghana in Washington, DC, confirmed the former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta's arrest and detention by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
A press statement issued by Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Emmanuel Smith, said it got information about Ken Ofori-Atta's detention and took steps to verify and reach out to the detainee.
Source: YEN.com.gh
