US assures Ghana it will not obstruct extradition of Ofori-Atta and Sedina Attionu

Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed that the United States government has assured Ghana of its full cooperation and will not impede efforts to extradite former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and former MASLOC Chief Executive, Sedina Tamakloe Attionu.

Mr Ofori-Atta was detained in the United States in January 2026 following a formal extradition request by Ghana in connection with corruption and procurement-related charges filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor. He is currently being held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as legal processes concerning his immigration status and the extradition request continue.

Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, who was convicted in Ghana in 2024 for causing financial loss to the state, also remains the subject of ongoing extradition proceedings. According to the Attorney-General, the formal request submitted to the US Department of Justice in mid-2024 is still under review, pending the completion of required procedures.

Speaking after a bilateral meeting in Accra with the Acting US Ambassador to Ghana, Rolf Olson, and his delegation, Mr Ablakwa said the United States had made it clear that its cooperation would not undermine judicial processes or frustrate Ghana’s extradition efforts.

He noted that both countries commended their strengthened security and law enforcement collaboration, which led to the extradition of nine suspects from Ghana to the United States in 2025, as well as ongoing efforts to return two high-interest Ghanaian suspects from the US.

“The United States Government has assured that, without prejudice to judicial processes, it will not stand in the way of Ghana as regards the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta and Sedina Tamakloe Attionu,” Mr Ablakwa stated.

The assurance is expected to reinforce confidence in US-Ghana legal cooperation as the two extradition cases proceed through their respective legal channels.