Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has clarified that Ghana’s former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, did not overstay his U.S. visa as widely speculated. Instead, the visa was formally revoked by the U.S. State Department. His legal team had recently alleged that he was detained in the United States over immigration-related issues. Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Dr. Ayine revealed that the revocation took place in July 2024, after which Ofori-Atta was granted until November 29, 2024, to voluntarily exit the country.
“I want Ghanaians to understand that he didn’t simply overstay his visa—it was revoked,” Dr Ayine emphasised. “He was given until November 29, 2024, to leave the United States, but he did not.” Ghana has previously requested Ofori-Atta’s extradition, but his lawyers are challenging this, saying the allegations against him are politically motivated. Ofori-Atta left Ghana last year for medical reasons, his legal team said.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed on its official website that Ken Ofori-Atta is detained at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia. He is scheduled to appear in court on January 20, 2026. His Ghana-based legal team, Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners (MPOBB), announced in a public notice that he has already applied for an adjustment of status, which they expect will be resolved in due course.
According to the Attorney General, Dr. Ayine , US authorities initially planned to arrest the former minister on January 4, 2026, but that did not materialise. He was eventually apprehended on Tuesday, January 6, in the Virginia area and taken into custody. Dr Ayine stressed that the issue should not be dismissed as a routine immigration matter, insisting the visa revocation was deliberate and tied to ongoing investigations.
“This is not exactly about immigration. His visa is not expired. It expires in February. No, it was revoked. I am telling you this on authority,” he emphasised. He revealed that the revocation followed sustained engagement between Ghanaian authorities and their American counterparts, particularly in relation to an extradition request submitted by his office.
“The extradition request that I sent was in respect of the OSP – the SME matter,” he said. “I have been working with the Americans diligently on him. And the visa was revoked. And that is how come that he lost his immigration status in the United States.”
Source: Caleb Ahinakwah
