Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is scheduled to appear before a United States immigration court on June 15, 2026, for a substantive individual hearing that could significantly influence his bid to remain in America and Ghana’s ongoing efforts to secure his extradition.
Court records show the hearing is fixed for 1:00 pm before Immigration Judge David A. Gardey at the Annandale Immigration Court in Virginia. The proceeding is expected to be conducted virtually.
The development follows Ofori-Atta’s release from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on April 7, 2026, after a judge granted him bail in the sum of $65,000. His Ghanaian legal team, Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners, confirmed the release, stating that he had reunited with his family in the US.
“Mr Ofori-Atta remains fully committed to use due process in defence of his rights as guaranteed under the constitution and laws of the United States,” the lawyers said in a statement at the time.
The June 15 hearing is anticipated to delve into the merits of Ofori-Atta’s immigration case, moving beyond previous procedural matters. It will likely examine arguments regarding his continued stay in the US.
Ofori-Atta reportedly entered the United States on May 28, 2025, on a visitor’s visa. He is said to have remained in the country after the visa’s validity period, leading to his arrest by ICE on January 6, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Ghanaian authorities are seeking his extradition to face more than 70 criminal charges in connection with ongoing corruption-related investigations. These include allegations linked to the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) contract, among others.
Ofori-Atta’s US-based lawyer, Enayat Qasimi, has indicated that his client is pursuing a pathway to residency in the United States. The lawyer has questioned whether Ofori-Atta would receive a fair trial if returned to Ghana, describing the charges as politically motivated.
Ken Ofori-Atta served as Finance Minister under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from 2017 to early 2024. He was a key figure in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, overseeing Ghana’s 2023 IMF bailout programme. However, his tenure was also marked by widespread criticism over the country’s debt crisis and the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), which impacted many bondholders and pensioners.
