Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has been released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on bail following a judicial order.
He is scheduled to reappear in court on April 27 for deportation proceedings, as the matter continues to unfold amid missing paperwork and jurisdictional delays.
The bail grant comes after Ofori-Atta’s legal team successfully argued that without a formal extradition request from Ghana on record, the court could not legally consider him a flight risk.
His release was secured through a private bond company, reportedly for a substantial sum.
At a previous hearing in March 2026, the presiding judge had specifically requested sight of Ghana’s extradition request before determining Ofori-Atta’s bail application.
The judge signalled that such documentation would be critical to assessing whether Ofori-Atta posed a flight risk, a key factor in bail decisions.
However, according to sources familiar with the matter, the US Attorney General has not provided a copy of Ghana’s extradition request to the State Attorney for submission to the court.
The reasons for this delay remain unclear.
A source familiar with the proceedings explained, “In the absence of sighting a copy of the extradition request, he could not be deemed a flight risk.”
Ofori-Atta was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 6, 2026, and held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia.
The presiding judge had previously requested that Ghana’s extradition request be submitted to the court to assess bail conditions.
However, the US Attorney General has yet to transmit the document to the State Attorney handling the case.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Special Prosecutor in Ghana continues to pursue its corruption case against the former finance minister, awaiting his return.
His release has also been confirmed in a statement issued on April 8, by his solicitor, Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo of Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline & Partners.
According to the lawyers, Mr Ofori-Atta is committed to pursuing all matters through lawful channels.
“He remains fully committed to use due process in defence of his rights as guaranteed under the constitution and laws of the United States,” Mr Premo noted.
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