Here is why Ken Ofori-Atta is still held in detention as he fights deportation

Embattled former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has been denied bail by a US court, leaving him in detention in Virginia as he fights deportation.

According to reports, Judge David Gardey ruled against his request, stating that he has access to adequate medical care at the ICE facility.

Mr. Ofori-Atta is also contesting an extradition request by the Government of Ghana over alleged offences during his tenure between 2017 and 2024.

This ruling means the former Finance Minister remains in detention at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia following his arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) several months ago.

The information was disclosed yesterday by journalist Alfred Ogbamey in a Facebook post, parts of which read: “Checks on the official US Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) at 12:16 p.m. yesterday, Sunday, February 22, 2026, and again this morning confirm that he is still in the custody of the ICE facility.

“At his first appearance in court on January 20, 2026, lawyers for the first Finance Minister to have left Ghana before the formal handover to a new government on January 7, 2025 requested bail for him to attend immigration proceedings from his new Washington, DC home,” he wrote.

“Judge David Gardey of the Annandale Court in Virginia denied the request and scheduled a ruling for February 19, 2026.

“The judge also adjourned the main deportation hearing that day to 1 p.m. on April 27, 2026 and directed US authorities to provide documentation supporting Ghana's reported extradition request to the court,” he added.

“At his hearing last Thursday, lawyers for Ken Ofori-Atta argued that he should be granted bail to access proper medical care. Sources say the judge refused the request, insisting that the former minister has access to adequate medical care at the ICE facility,” he further stated.

Ofori-Atta is represented in the US case by former US Attorney General and Missouri Senator John Ashcroft and his law and lobbying firm, along with Enayatullah Qasimi. His lawyers are expected to file for a review, US sources following the case have said.