Ofori-Atta snubbed Ghana embassy help after ICE detention – Srem Sai

Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem Sai says Ken Ofori-Atta has repeatedly rejected diplomatic assistance offered by Ghana’s Embassy in the United States after his ICE detention.

Appearing on TV3’s Key Points on Saturday, January 10, Dr Sai disclosed that Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Smith, had made several attempts to visit the former finance minister and extend state support, all of which were declined.

“Let me mention this: our mission in the United States, in Washington, the ambassador, Victor Smith, has been taking efforts to go and visit him and offer him the necessary support that a citizen is entitled to in such situations. Unfortunately, he seemed to have refused every effort that such assistance,” Dr Sai said.

He stressed that the government’s approach was driven by duty rather than politics, arguing that Ofori-Atta’s previous status as a senior public official places an obligation on the state to step in during such circumstances.

“We are making every effort to offer him all the assistance he needs. And you know, when you’re in a different country, and some things like this happen. Being a former high-ranking official, we really owe you a duty to offer you our necessary support in that situation,” he added.

According to the Deputy Attorney-General, the assistance turned down by Ofori-Atta went beyond consular visits and included practical help that could have eased his legal challenges.

“If you need a lawyer, if you need financial support, anything that will help you to come out of that, he doesn’t want… And he said he didn’t need; I mean he did not accept,” Dr Sai stated.

Ofori-Atta, aged 66, was picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on January 6, 2026, in Washington, DC, following concerns over his immigration status. Dr Sai explained that the former minister’s U.S. visa had been revoked in June 2025, leaving him without lawful status for several months.

He is currently being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia, while immigration processes continue.

In a public notice dated January 7, 2026, Ofori-Atta’s lawyers, Menka-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners, said their client has filed a petition for adjustment of status. They argue the application permits him to remain in the U.S. beyond his visa period under American law and assures that he is cooperating with ICE.

Ofori-Atta served as Finance Minister from 2017 to 2024 under President Nana Akufo-Addo and travelled to the U.S. in early 2025 for medical treatment, including prostate cancer surgery. He is wanted by Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor over corruption-related cases, including the SML deal and the National Cathedral project.

Dr Sai noted that once Ofori-Atta returns to Ghana, he will be arrested and subjected to due legal processes, including the possibility of bail.