Ex-finance minister detained in US

Ex-finance minister detained in US

Ghana’s former finance minister, who is wanted at home on suspicion of corruption, has been detained by US immigration, his lawyers said.

Ken Ofori-Atta, 66, has been in the United States since January last year to receive medical treatment, including prostate cancer surgery.

The former minister, who was declared a fugitive last February and was formally charged with corruption in November, has applied to extend his stay in the US, his lawyers said late Wednesday.

They said the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement took Ofori-Atta into custody on Tuesday over “the status of his current stay in the United States”.

“His US legal team is in contact with ICE and expects the matter to be resolved expeditiously,” the statement added, stressing that Ofori-Atta was cooperating fully with immigration authorities.

ICE’s online database listed Ofori-Atta as being held at a facility in the US state of Virginia.

Ofori-Atta served as finance minister from 2017 to 2024 under former President Nana Akufo-Addo and oversaw contentious tax reforms and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

AFP