US judge demands evidence of Ghana’s extradition request as Ofori-Atta remains in ICE custody

Former Ghanaian Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta will remain in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention after a federal immigration judge declined to rule on his bail application, citing a lack of evidence supporting claims of an active extradition request from Ghana.
The closed-door hearing took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, in a U.S. immigration court. Ofori-Atta’s legal team requested bail, but government attorneys opposed it, asserting that Ghana had submitted a formal extradition request related to ongoing corruption charges against him.
Judge David A. Gardey refused to act on the extradition claim without documentation. “The court cannot act on assertions without proof,” he stated, directing federal authorities to submit any supporting evidence by February 19, 2026.
The case has been adjourned until April 27, 2026, at 1 p.m., when the court will review the bail application alongside any submitted documents.
Ofori-Atta, who served as Finance Minister from 2017 to 2023, has been in ICE custody since January 6, 2026. His Ghanaian lawyers, Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline & Partners, confirmed the detention in a statement on January 7, describing it as related to his immigration status.
The firm noted that Ofori-Atta has a pending petition for adjustment of status, a standard U.S. legal process allowing individuals to extend their stay beyond visa expiration. They emphasised that he is cooperating fully with authorities and described him as a “law-abiding person.”
Official U.S. Department of Homeland Security records show Ofori-Atta is being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia.
The former minister has been in the United States since early 2025, primarily for medical treatment. He underwent a radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, on June 13, 2025. Sources indicate he has also been managing post-COVID multi-system inflammatory response syndrome, diagnosed in 2021.
Back in Ghana, Ofori-Atta faces charges brought by the Office of the Special Prosecutor in November 2025, including corruption and corruption-related offences involving several co-accused. That case is currently in the case management phase.