The legal walls appear to be closing in on former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, as the government signals that his repatriation from the United States may be imminent.
The Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, provided a significant update on the detention of the former key minister of the erstwhile Akufo-Addo government, suggesting that the administrative machinery for his return to the jurisdiction is moving at an accelerated pace.
Addressing the status of the former minister—who was picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this week— Dr Srem-Sai indicated that the stay of the former minister on American soil is effectively at an end.
“Ofori-Atta could be back in Ghana sooner than expected,” Dr Srem-Sai declared on TV3 on Saturday, January 10, emphasising that the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney-General’s Department are not merely spectators but active participants in the unfolding case.
One of the key details shared by the Deputy A-G was the clarification regarding Mr Ofori-Atta’s immigration status.
While early reports suggested that the former minister’s visa had expired, Dr Srem-Sai revealed that the U.S. government had taken the proactive step of revoking his visa as far back as June 2025.
Minister of Justice and Attorney-General Dr Dominic Ayine had confirmed this on Joy FM’s Newsfile on the same day.
This distinction is legally critical. An expiration is a passive end to a travel document; a revocation is an active cancellation, often triggered by a request from a foreign government or the discovery of disqualifying factors.
“In June 2025, his visa was revoked; it’s not an expiration of the visa. The information we have is that his visa was revoked. So he has been living in America without a visa,” the Deputy A-G explained.
He further noted that ICE’s intervention was the logical conclusion of this status: “ICE will not come for you unless you have visa issues; that is what has happened.”
“We are keenly involved in this matter. We collaborate with law enforcement agencies in this matter,” Dr Srem-Sai affirmed.
Mr Ofori-Atta’s anticipated return comes at a time when the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Attorney-General are preparing to prosecute high-profile cases involving the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) deal and the controversial National Cathedral project.
The former minister had been in the U.S. seeking medical treatment, but his legal team—Menka-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners—now faces the daunting task of preventing his immediate removal.
While they argue that a “pending petition for adjustment of status” should protect him, Dr Srem-Sai’s revelations about a pre-existing revocation suggest that the U.S. government may have already decided on his status.
