Ofori-Atta’s US visa revoked – Attorney-General

The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has disclosed that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta did not simply overstay his visa in the United States, but had his visa formally revoked by US authorities.

Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, January 10, Dr Ayine explained that Mr Ofori-Atta was earlier directed to leave the United States by November 29, 2024, but failed to comply with that directive. He stressed that the action taken by US authorities was intentional and linked to ongoing investigations, not a routine immigration lapse.

“This is not exactly about immigration. His visa is not expired. It expires in February. No, it was revoked. I am telling you this on authority,” Dr Ayine stated.

According to him, plans were initially made to arrest Mr Ofori-Atta on January 4, 2026, but the operation did not go ahead as scheduled. He was eventually arrested on January 6 in the Virginia area and placed in custody.

Dr Ayine revealed that the revocation of the former minister’s visa is directly connected to an extradition request submitted by Ghanaian authorities in relation to investigations being conducted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor, particularly concerning the SML matter.

“I have been working with the Americans diligently on him. And the visa was revoked. And that is how come that he lost his immigration status in the United States,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Ofori-Atta’s lawyer, Frank Davies, has indicated that his client’s legal team in the United States is working to resolve the matter quickly. Speaking to Citi Eyewitness News on January 8, Mr Davies disclosed that Mr Ofori-Atta had filed a petition seeking an extension of his immigration status.

Despite the application, he was arrested by officials of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is currently being held at the Caroline Detention Facility.

“The little I know from our counterpart lawyers in the US, limited as it is, is that he's put in a petition for an extension of his immigration status, and contingent upon that, ICE, for whatever reason, picked him up,” Mr Davies said.

He added that the specific grounds for the detention remain unclear but assured the public that efforts are underway to secure a swift resolution. “They are working to have this matter determined expeditiously. In the fullness of time, maybe in the next day or two, we will all get to know what decision has been taken,” he stated.

The unfolding case has attracted intense national attention, bringing into sharp focus the intersection between US immigration enforcement and Ghana’s ongoing investigations into the former Finance Minister.