Ken Ofori-Atta, the former finance minister of Ghana, has been held by US immigration authorities due to accusations of corruption in his own country, according to his attorneys.

The 66-year-old Ofori-Atta has been in the US since January of last year, when he traveled for medical treatment, including prostate cancer surgery. He had legally requested an extension of his stay in the nation, according to his legal representatives.

The former minister was detained on Tuesday due to "the status of his current stay in the United States," according to a statement issued by his attorneys on Wednesday.

The Ghanaian authorities had declared Ofori-Atta a fugitive in February last year following allegations of corruption, before filing formal charges against him in November.

His attorneys stated that his American legal team was already interacting with ICE despite his incarceration and expressed optimism that the matter would be settled quickly. Ofori-Atta was collaborating completely with immigration authorities, they noted.

The former minister is presently being detained at a facility in the US state of Virginia, according to ICE's online detainee database.


During the government of former President Nana Akufo-Addo, Ofori-Atta was Ghana's finance minister from 2017 until 2024. During this time, he oversaw controversial tax measures and protracted talks with the International Monetary Fund to stabilize Ghana's economy.