The latest on the embattled former Minister for Finance Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, who was arrested and detained by United States (US) authorities is that, he has been moved from the centre he was previously held.
According to Victor Emmanuel Smith, he has been moved from the Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia, to a yet to be disclosed environment.
Speaking exclusively on the Keypoints programme on TV3, on Saturday January 17, the ambassador also disclosed that, Ofori-Atta is slated to appear in court on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
That court hearing, he revealed, is expected to be conducted virtually. Asked by host, Alfred Ocansey, why this was the case, the ambassador said he cannot tell except to say that, that arrangement is not uncommon in the US.
He went on to disclosed that, he was personally called by cousin of the former minister, Gabby Asare-Otchere-Darko wanting to know if he willingly return to Ghana, he will be treated fairly by the state.
Ambassador Smith said Gabby informed him that the detainee is willing to come back except that he is afraid what awaits him upon his arrival.
“Gabby called me and said Ken wants to come but he is afraid of how he will be treated. So I told him I wanted to meet Ken and give him the assurance that he will be taken through the legal process, because the Attorney-General, Dr Ayine gave me that assurance”, Ambassador Smith said.
He explained further “That is the point let nobody get me wrong it was not my own view, it was the view of Gabby Otchere Darko who is a relative of his. He made a call to me and I said wanted to have an opportunity to assure him that he would have to go through the due processes like anybody else goes through the due process. So that anxiety or the fear was expressed by Gabby. Yes he did and said his problem is he is not sure of how he would be handled or whatever. I said this country everybody goes through the due process that is what the Attorney General has told me and I wanted to communicate that to Ken if I had the opportunity to meet with him”..
The ambassador also confirmed that he indeed made an attempt to visit the former minister at the centre as has been the practice for other Ghanaian citizens.
He said, the gesture was turned down initially by the detainee with the excuse that, he could not meet them without his legal counsel.
He said that was the information he was given but about two hours later, officials from ICE who the embassy was periodically engaging them called back to inform them that, Ofori-Atta said he did not want to see the Ghanaian officials whether with or without his lawyers.
“Once we were informed by ICE that they have arrested our ex-minister for finance, as a high profile case, they informed as and I asked my officers to get ready for us to go to him in detention and ensure that he is kept well health wise, if any requirement by way of medication or medical care and then we were going to make representations and push for it. But just before we set out, ICE called again in my office that the detainee has declined seeing us without his lawyers so that was the end of the road. That was how initiatly we were informed and that once the lawyers show up they might call us again but two to three hours later the detainee is still insisting that with or without his lawyers wasn’t ready to see us|”, he notated.
The former minister was arrested and detained by ICE on January 6, 2026 after overstaying his trip to the US in January 2025. His detention came months after government put in a request to extradite him to Ghana to face prosecution with others by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
By Gifty Boateng