US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reportedly detained Ghana’s former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, amid mounting international and domestic legal pressure over allegations of corruption and abuse of office during his tenure in government.
Ofori-Atta, who served as Ghana’s finance chief from January 27, 2017, to February 14, 2024, under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is currently wanted by the Ghanaian authorities.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has accused him of multiple counts of corruption-related offences, including conflict of interest, procurement irregularities, and the misuse of public office for personal benefit.
According to the Special Prosecutor, Ofori-Atta directly participated in and facilitated several acts that allegedly caused significant financial losses to the state.
Among the claims is a controversial expenditure estimated at about $58 million (£46.6 million), which investigators say cannot be adequately justified.
The former minister was declared wanted while he was outside Ghana.
His legal team has maintained that he has been unable to return to the country due to medical reasons. Attorney Frank Davis, speaking on behalf of Ofori-Atta, has accused the Special Prosecutor of acting unlawfully and insensitively.
“We submitted medical records in good faith, and the office has chosen to ignore them,” Davis told the AFP news agency. “The special prosecutor is not being sensitive to the issues at hand, especially knowing that Mr. Ofori-Atta is unwell and receiving treatment.”
Ofori-Atta himself has denied wrongdoing, insisting that he is being unfairly targeted by state prosecutors following the change of government.
He has described the actions against him as politically motivated and inconsistent with due process.
As the legal battle escalated, an Interpol red notice was issued for the 65-year-old former minister, enabling law enforcement agencies in Interpol’s 196 member states to locate and provisionally detain him pending possible extradition to Ghana.
The reported ICE detention in the United States marks a significant development in efforts to secure his return to face questioning and potential prosecution.
Background
Ken Ofori-Atta is a prominent Ghanaian economist and investment banker who co-founded Databank Group, one of Ghana’s leading financial services firms.
His appointment as finance minister in 2017 was initially welcomed by many in the business community, who viewed him as a technocrat capable of steering Ghana’s economy toward stability and growth.
However, his time in office was marked by controversy, particularly during periods of economic difficulty, rising public debt, and negotiations with international lenders.
Critics frequently raised concerns about alleged conflicts of interest, given his family ties to key figures in government and business. Supporters, on the other hand, argue that he implemented difficult but necessary economic reforms under challenging global and domestic conditions.
The allegations against Ofori-Atta have become one of the most high-profile corruption cases pursued by Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor, an institution established to investigate and prosecute corruption and corruption-related offences involving public officials.
The case is widely seen as a test of the country’s commitment to accountability and the rule of law, particularly in the aftermath of a change in political leadership.
As investigations continue, Ghanaian authorities insist that due process will be followed, while observers at home and abroad closely watch how the case unfolds and what it may mean for governance and anti-corruption efforts in Ghana.
