Ghana’s Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has expressed strong optimism that the United States will grant Ghana’s extradition request for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to return home.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday on the sidelines of an event in Accra, Mr. Ayine said he has been in direct contact with officials from the United States Department of Justice, who are actively working on Ghana’s extradition request.
“I am extremely hopeful that the extradition request will go through for Ken Ofori-Atta to return to Ghana,” the Attorney-General stated.
Mr. Ayine disclosed that he has been closely following developments surrounding Ofori-Atta’s immigration case in the United States and has received confidential briefings on recent court proceedings.
“I monitored the hearing yesterday, and I have had reports from the United States regarding what has happened and what may happen, but these are confidential discussions,” he said.
His comments follow Ofori-Atta’s appearance before a U.S. court in Virginia on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, in a case related to the revocation of his U.S. visa. The hearing focused solely on an application for bail filed by Ofori-Atta’s legal team, seeking his release from the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
During the proceedings, U.S. state attorneys opposed the bail application, informing the court that Ghana had submitted an extradition request. However, Immigration Judge David A. Gardey declined to issue an immediate ruling, citing the absence of formal documentary evidence of the extradition request before the court.
The judge subsequently adjourned the case and directed the U.S. federal government to submit proof of any extradition request on or before February 19, 2026, before a decision on bail can be made.
Clarifying the legal situation, the Attorney-General explained that the ongoing court proceedings relate strictly to immigration law violations, which are separate from the extradition process.
“What is happening now is in relation to immigration law violations. That is separate and distinct from the extradition request,” Mr. Ayine explained. “If it was put before the Immigration Judge that there is an extradition request, he wants a formal filing before him, so the Justice Department will have to do that before a decision is taken.”
Ken Ofori-Atta was arrested in the United States and has been in ICE custody since January 6, 2026. His legal team continues to pursue bail as the extradition process unfolds.
