The bond hearing for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is scheduled to take place today, February 19, 2026, in a United States federal court, where the presiding judge has demanded formal proof of Ghana’s extradition request before considering any decision on his release.
Judge David A. Gardey has made it clear that the court “cannot act on assertions without proof”, insisting that documented evidence of an active extradition request from Ghanaian authorities must be submitted by today.
The development follows a closed-door session on January 20, during which the judge temporarily halted consideration of Ofori-Atta’s bail application after US state attorneys strongly opposed his release, citing the ongoing extradition proceedings initiated by Ghana.
Mr Ofori-Atta, who served as Finance Minister under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, has been in the custody of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since early January 2026. Prosecutors maintain that his visitor visa was revoked, rendering his continued stay in the US unlawful.
In court filings and arguments presented during the January hearing, Ofori-Atta’s legal team contended that he has fully cooperated with authorities and is actively pursuing legal options, including an application for adjustment of status that could potentially allow him to remain in the United States under existing immigration provisions.
Separately, Ghanaian authorities have initiated formal extradition proceedings to have the former minister returned to the country to face various charges. The success of that process now depends heavily on the timely submission of the required extradition documentation to the US court.
In a related development, INTERPOL recently withdrew a Red Notice previously issued against Ofori-Atta. His legal representatives have described the withdrawal as confirmation that the notice was “predominantly political” in nature.
