Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is scheduled to appear before a court in the U.S. on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, over alleged immigration violations.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has indicated that Mr Ofori-Atta overstayed his visitor visa and has currently lost his status to stay in the US. A determination on a possible extradition to Ghana may follow the court proceedings.
However, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has rejected claims that the case is a routine visa overstay, insisting that Mr Ofori-Atta’s visa was formally revoked by U.S. authorities.
Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, January 10, Dr Ayine explained that U.S. authorities had initially granted Mr Ofori-Atta up to November 29, 2025, to leave the country, but he failed to do so.
He stressed that the visa revocation was deliberate, linked to ongoing investigations, and not a standard immigration matter.
“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 No, it was revoked.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,” Dr Ayine said.
According to the Attorney-General, Ghana’s extradition request is connected to investigations being conducted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor in relation to the SML matter.
“I have been working with the Americans diligently on him. And the visa was revoked. And that is why he lost his immigration status in the United States,” he added.
Meanwhile, former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, is also expected to appear before a U.S. court on January 21, 2026, for proceedings to determine her possible extradition to Ghana.
Source: Citi Newsroom
