Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has been freed from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention after a judicial order secured his release on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, his legal team has confirmed.
In a statement issued on April 8, 2026, by his solicitor Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo of the firm Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners, the legal team confirmed he had returned home and reunited with his family. “On April 7th 2026, Ken Ofori-Atta was released from ICE detention pursuant to judicial order. He is home with his family,” the statement read.
His legal team added that “Mr. Ofori-Atta remains fully committed to use due process in defence of his rights as guaranteed under the constitution and laws of the United States.” The statement also expressed gratitude to Ghanaians who offered prayers and support during his detention.
Ofori-Atta had been held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia since January 6, 2026, following concerns raised about his immigration status. During his detention, a U.S. court denied him bail while he contested the case and sought to regularise his status.
His detention followed a formal extradition request submitted by Ghana’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, to the U.S. Department of Justice in December 2025. The charges against Ofori-Atta and seven others include allegations of corruption, conspiracy to influence procurement processes, and financial misconduct linked to several government contracts during his tenure as Finance Minister.
The Government of Ghana submitted a formal extradition request to the United States in February 2026, which U.S. authorities have acknowledged receiving. An Interpol Red Notice earlier issued against him in relation to the investigations has since been withdrawn.
The presiding judge had previously requested that Ghana’s extradition request be submitted to the court to assess bail conditions, but the U.S. Attorney General had not yet transmitted the document to the State Attorney handling the case at the time of his release.
Ofori-Atta served as Finance Minister from 2017 to early 2024 under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in Ghana continues to pursue the corruption case against him and awaits his return.
