Fresh details have emerged regarding the ongoing U.S. immigration case involving former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, with his legal team confirming that proceedings have been delayed due to unresolved issues surrounding a possible extradition request from Ghana.
Speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues on Sunday, April 5, his lawyer, Frank Davies, explained that a bond application had been filed during an earlier hearing before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). However, the process hit a snag after lawyers from the United States Department of Justice raised concerns about a potential extradition request submitted by Ghanaian authorities.
According to Davies, the presiding judge subsequently adjourned the case and directed that full details of the alleged extradition request be presented at the next hearing to enable the court to properly consider the bond application.
He noted that when the case resumed on February 19, federal prosecutors filed only a brief submission that lacked sufficient detail.
“As it turned out on February 19, it was just a one-liner filed by the federal lawyers, giving no details of the request. The judge’s hands were tied and could not go into the merits of the bond application,” he explained.
The matter has now been adjourned to April 27, when the court is expected to reconvene and possibly gain clearer direction on both the extradition issue and the pending bond application.
Ofori-Atta has been in U.S. federal custody since January 6, 2026, following his arrest in Washington, D.C., by ICE officials. Authorities in the United States maintain that he no longer has lawful status in the country after his visitor visa was revoked.
Back home, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has charged the former minister with corruption and financial misconduct linked to the Strategic Mobilization Ghana Limited (SML) revenue assurance contract. In late February, the office formally submitted an extradition request to U.S. authorities, seeking his return to Ghana to face trial.
Source: 3News
