Ken Ofori-Atta is currently in ICE detention
The Embassy of Ghana in Washington, DC, has stated that former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has so far declined to meet with Ghanaian consular officials without his legal representatives present.
This follows the embassy’s confirmation of Ofori-Atta’s detention and that he is in the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Ghana Embassy in Washington breaks silence on Ken Ofori-Atta’s detention by US officials
According to the embassy, in a statement dated January 10, 2026, and signed by Ambassador Victor Emmanuel Smith, Ghanaian diplomats moved swiftly to establish contact with US authorities after learning of Ofori-Atta’s detention.
The embassy explained that its engagement was aimed at providing consular assistance to Ofori-Atta in line with established diplomatic and international protocols.
“The Embassy of Ghana in Washington, DC, can confirm that Ghana’s former Minister for Finance, Mr Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, has been taken into custody by Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) in the United States. Upon receiving this information, the Embassy undertook the necessary steps to verify the circumstances surrounding the matter.
“Following confirmation, the Embassy formally contacted the relevant detention facility to request access to Mr. Ofori-Atta in order to provide consular assistance in line with established diplomatic and international protocols. The Embassy was informed by the facility that the detainee declined to engage with consular officials at that time without his lawyers present,” it indicated.
Ofori-Atta was arrested and detained on January 6, 2026, by ICE agents.
Ken Ofori-Atta arrested and detained in the US
Ofori-Atta is a suspect in multiple criminal investigations by Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor, which declared him wanted and placed him on an Interpol Red Notice.
MAG/AE
