Government Confirms Strategy to Revoke Visa Bypassing Lengthy Extradition Process

The Minister for Government Communication, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has confirmed that the Mahama administration asked the government of the United States to revoke the visa of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta in order to have him deported to Ghana, acknowledging that the government suspected the extradition process it had triggered could take too long to materialize.

Speaking during a panel discussion on TV3, Kwakye Ofosu noted that the move by the Mahama government came after the administration realized that the extradition process initiated, although it was the due process required by law, would be a rather long process that may keep Ofori Atta further away from coming to Ghana to answer for the charges leveled against him by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

“Indeed, check the sequence of events, Ken Ofori-Atta’s visa was revoked upon the intervention of the Ghanaian government because it was noticed that the extradition process may take a bit of time,” Felix Kwakye Ofosu remarked. “However, if the visa is revoked, even his stay in the United States is made untenable unless he is able to show at this hearing that he has cause to do so.”

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the United States detained the former finance minister on January 6, 2026. Lawyers for Ofori Atta in Ghana, Minkah Premo, Osei Bonsu, Bruce Cathline & Partners (MPOBB), made the announcement in a public notice issued Wednesday, January 7, 2026, and signed by Justice Kusi Minkah Premo.

The public notice noted that the detention resulted from challenges regarding the status of Ofori Atta’s continued stay in the United States. “The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as of (6 January 2026), detained the former Minister for Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, regarding the status of his current stay in the United States. His US legal team is in contact with ICE and expects the matter to be resolved expeditiously.”

“Mr Ofori-Atta has a pending petition for adjustment of status, which authorises a person to stay in the US legally past the period of validity of their visa. Under US law, a change of status by this method is common,” the public notice issued by MPOBB says. “The public is, therefore, advised to note that he is a law-abiding person and is fully cooperating with ICE to have this issue resolved.”

According to the official website of the Department of Homeland Security, Ofori Atta is in ICE custody at the Caroline Detention Facility located at 11093 SW Lewis Memorial Drive, Bowling Green, Virginia 22427. He appeared before a United States court on Monday, January 20, 2026, following actions by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement concerning his immigration status.

Attorney General and Minister for Justice Doctor Dominic Ayine has rejected suggestions that the matter is a routine case of visa overstay. According to him, Ofori Atta’s visitor visa was formally revoked by US authorities rather than expiring naturally, contradicting claims by the former minister’s legal team.

Ayine explained in a recent interview that US authorities had earlier granted Ofori Atta permission to remain in the country until November 29, 2025, but he failed to depart by the deadline. “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,” Ayine stated.

Ayine further disclosed that the visa revocation is connected to ongoing investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor, particularly those relating to the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (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,” the Attorney General said.

Speaking on JoyNews Newsfile on Saturday, January 10, 2026, Ayine revealed that the United States State Department revoked Ofori Atta’s visa in July 2025, and they gave him up to November 29 to leave the United States, but he did not comply. “Actually, the arrest was supposed to occur on January 4th [2026], and they did not do so, but on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, they apprehended him in the Virginia area and took him into custody,” he explained.

Ken Ofori Atta has been in the United States since January 2025 for medical treatment. He had surgery in the United States following a diagnosis of prostate cancer. The procedure, a radical prostatectomy, took place on June 13, 2025, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Medical sources described the surgery as a crucial step after recent tests revealed signs of the cancer’s progression.

Doctors reportedly confirmed the diagnosis in March 2025 after magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and a biopsy detected an increased spread of cancer cells in the prostate. Ofori Atta had been receiving treatment and undergoing monitoring in the United States for several weeks ahead of the operation, sources close to the family said.

He had also been managing post COVID multi system inflammatory response syndrome, initially diagnosed in February 2021, a condition that has required ongoing medical oversight. Despite these medical claims, Ghanaian authorities have expressed skepticism about whether health concerns justify his continued absence from Ghana.

Ofori Atta served as Ghana’s finance minister from 2017 to 2023, playing a key role in the country’s economic management during a turbulent period that included the COVID 19 pandemic and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In November 2025, the Office of the Special Prosecutor charged him and others with corruption and corruption related offenses. The trial is at the case management conference (CMC) stage. Ghana has formally requested his extradition from the United States to face the charges.

Ghana submitted a formal extradition request to the US Department of Justice on December 10, seeking Ofori Atta’s return to face 78 counts of corruption and corruption related offenses. The charges stem from contracts with Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited and the National Cathedral project, among other transactions approved during his tenure as Finance Minister.

ICE officials have indicated that Ofori Atta no longer holds lawful status in the United States, a development that could pave the way for proceedings related to a possible extradition to Ghana. The January 20 court appearance addressed his immigration status while Ghana awaits the US Department of Justice’s decision on the extradition request.

Frank Davies, a member of Ofori Atta’s legal team, disclosed on January 19 that the hearing would be conducted virtually. Davies emphasized that his client is “happy” and in “good spirits,” stressing that the proceedings are strictly administrative related to adjustment of immigration status.

“Ken Ofori-Atta is happy. Our counterpart lawyers in America are happy. We are all waiting for the hearing tomorrow, which will be virtual,” Davies said. He stressed that the matter should not be conflated with the extradition push, stating that “this is an immigration hearing for an adjustment of his immigration status in America, simply nothing more, nothing less.”

However, government officials have dismissed these characterizations as attempts to minimize the seriousness of the situation. Kwakye Ofosu also rejected claims about Ofori Atta potentially buying citizenship to avoid justice. “You can’t buy citizenship to escape crime. They will screen you. They won’t sell citizenship to a terrorist or criminal,” he stressed during his TV3 appearance.

The court appearance coincided with intensifying public pressure in Ghana. The activist group Arise Ghana staged a protest at the United States Embassy in Accra on Monday morning, demanding that American officials facilitate Ofori Atta’s immediate repatriation.

“We are calling on the American Embassy to help us ensure that Ken Ofori-Atta returns to Ghana to face the law,” said Marion Gifty Nyaaba, co convener of the group. “If the law finds him guilty, then so be it, but we must allow the legal process to run its course.”

Franklin Cudjoe, President of IMANI Africa, also criticized the former minister’s continued stay abroad, describing Ofori Atta as a “brave coward” for failing to return to answer questions. “Every citizen has a right to ask questions or to demand answers from their duty bearers. That is the reason why some of us think we should support this cause,” Cudjoe stated.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa confirmed during a bilateral meeting in Accra with acting US Ambassador to Ghana Rolf Olson and his team that the United States government had made clear that its cooperation on these matters would not prejudice judicial processes or block Ghana’s efforts to secure extradition.

Deputy Attorney General Ocloo clarified that Ofori Atta’s current detention is primarily linked to his immigration status rather than the criminal allegations in Ghana. Following the revocation of his visa in late 2025, Ofori Atta was picked up by ICE for violating immigration laws, a civil process distinct from the criminal extradition request.

“Deportation is a civil process. It has nothing to do with criminal charges,” Ocloo explained. She noted that while deportation can occur if an individual lacks a legal basis to remain in the United States, extradition is a “far more complex process” requiring a US federal judge to determine if there is probable cause for the charges brought by Ghana.

The OSP has filed charges against Ofori Atta including conspiracy to commit procurement fraud and causing financial loss to the state. These charges stem from contracts with Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited, the National Cathedral project, ambulance procurement for the Ministry of Health, and electricity company contracts.

The OSP requested Ofori Atta appear for questioning on February 10, 2025, via a letter dated January 24, 2025. His solicitors responded January 31, stating he had left Ghana in early January for medical treatment in the United States and was “out of the jurisdiction indefinitely for medical examinations.” The solicitors requested rescheduling and offered to provide information to aid investigations.

On February 10, the OSP directed Ofori Atta to provide a reasonable return date, warning that failure to comply would compel the OSP to “take all legal steps to secure his return to the jurisdiction.” His solicitors responded the same day, stating a doctor recommended he remain in the United States for possible surgical intervention.

During a February 2025 press conference, the OSP declared Ofori Atta a fugitive, stating it was unconvinced by the medical report and disagreed that returning to Ghana would endanger his life. The OSP characterized his extended stay as “an attempt to avoid return to the jurisdiction.”

By June 2025, Ghana secured a judicial arrest warrant and successfully placed Ofori Atta on Interpol’s Red Notice database, though the notice was temporarily removed from public visibility following a challenge by the accused. The OSP transmitted a letter to the Attorney General on December 9 requesting formal extradition proceedings.

Legal experts note that while the US executive branch can offer assurances of cooperation, the final decision remains with US federal courts. The dual criminality principle requires that the alleged crimes in Ghana also constitute crimes under US federal law, creating potential complications in the extradition process.

Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States Victor Emmanuel Smith announced in a January 10, 2026, press release that Ofori Atta has declined consular assistance from the Ghana Embassy. Legal analysts have defended this decision, stating he acted within his constitutional rights by refusing to engage embassy staff without his lawyers present.

Abraham Amaliba, Acting Director General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), confirmed that the detention of Ofori Atta in the United States is directly linked to efforts by the Attorney General’s office to secure his extradition. “I can confirm to you that this [Ofori-Atta’s detention] is part of the processes leading up to his extradition, and this is the handiwork of our Attorney General,” Amaliba stated while speaking on TV3’s Newday on January 9, 2026.

The strategy of revoking Ofori Atta’s visa rather than relying solely on the extradition process represents an innovative approach by Ghanaian authorities to expedite the return of individuals wanted on criminal charges. Traditional extradition procedures can take months or years, involving extensive legal proceedings in both countries.

By requesting visa revocation, Ghana essentially created an immigration violation that gives US authorities independent grounds to detain and potentially deport Ofori Atta without waiting for completion of extradition proceedings. This dual track approach increases pressure on the former minister while providing multiple pathways for his return to Ghana.

The meeting between Ghanaian and US officials underscored a period of intensified security synergy, with both nations noting successful transfer of multiple suspects over the past year. “Ghana and the United States applauded our improved security and law enforcement cooperation, leading to the extradition of nine suspects from Ghana to the USA in 2025, and the ongoing commendable efforts to also send over two Ghanaians of high interest from the US to Ghana,” Ablakwa said.

The other Ghanaian of high interest is Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC). She was convicted in 2024 of causing financial loss to the state and sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison.

Recent reports indicate that Attionu is currently in the custody of United States authorities as the legal process for her return enters its final stages. Attorney General Ayine announced in December 2025 that US officials have effectively completed the extradition proceedings. “The Americans have indicated that they’ve completed the process,” Ayine stated, noting that barring a final appeal by her legal team, her return to Ghana is imminent.

For Ofori Atta, the outcome of the January 20 court hearing will significantly impact his immediate future and potentially accelerate or complicate Ghana’s efforts to bring him home for trial. The convergence of immigration proceedings and extradition requests creates a complex legal situation that will test cooperation between Ghanaian and American authorities.