Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has been placed in the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after a private immigration hearing held on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. The decision follows arguments on his application for bail, which remains unresolved.

The closed-session hearing was convened at the request of Mr Ofori-Atta’s lawyers and centred on whether he should be released from detention. Government attorneys opposed the request, citing an alleged extradition request from Ghana as grounds for continued custody.

Presiding judge David A. Gardey declined to rule immediately on the extradition issue, explaining that the court had not been provided with any formal documentation to substantiate the claim. He stressed that the tribunal could not rely on unverified assertions and ordered federal authorities to submit evidence of any extradition request by February 19, 2026.

The matter has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 27, at 1:00 pm, when the court is expected to consider both the bail application and any supporting documents the government may present. Until then, Mr Ofori-Atta will remain detained by ICE.

News of his detention first emerged on January 7 through a statement from his Ghanaian legal team, Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline & Partners (MPOBB). The firm disclosed that he had been taken into custody on January 6 over questions surrounding his immigration status in the United States.

In the statement, signed by Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo, Esq., the lawyers explained that the former minister has an active application for adjustment of status, a lawful process that allows individuals to remain in the US beyond the expiration of their visa. They described the process as routine under US immigration law and emphasised that Mr Ofori-Atta has complied fully with authorities and has no history of legal violations.

Records from the US Department of Homeland Security show that he is currently being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia.

The situation has generated significant public interest in Ghana, particularly in light of Mr Ofori-Atta’s recent health challenges and ongoing legal matters. He has been receiving medical care in the United States since January 2025 and underwent prostate cancer surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, on June 13, 2025, after doctors observed a progression of the disease. Family sources indicate he had been under close medical supervision for several weeks prior to the operation.

He is also reported to be managing complications linked to post-COVID multi-system inflammatory response syndrome, a condition he was diagnosed with in early 2021.

Mr Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s Minister for Finance from 2017 until 2023, overseeing the economy during the COVID-19 crisis, debt restructuring efforts, and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. In November 2025, the Office of the Special Prosecutor formally charged him, along with other individuals, over alleged corruption and related offences. That case is currently at the case management conference stage.