Victor Smith, Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United States, has said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was involved in former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s detention.
According to Victor Smith, Immigration and Customs Enforcement handles immigration breaches, but when the FBI is involved, there might be a possibility of criminality.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United States stated, “I suspect it’s a combination of these two factors. ICE normally will pick you for immigration issues, but then, when the FBI comes in, then there must be some criminality or Interpol police request so that the red alert comes in there”.
“So the combination of the two of them convinces me that the Ghana government had requested this man to be brought in to help us, if you like, unravel some issues that have been brought against him as a former minister,” Mr Smith said.
When asked if he knew Ofori-Atta’s visa was revocked he stated, “No, Attorney General mentioned that to me”.
“The extent of my involvement at this stage was when he had been picked up,” he said.
He added, “We decided to make a request to make sure that he was being treated properly, as per international protocols. The detainee had refused to meet with us without his lawyers,” he said.
“After about a few hours, they came back to us to say the detainee, being the ex minister, had refused now to see us under any circumstances,” Mr Smith said.
“So that was the end of the road for me and the embassy.”
Meanwhile, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, has revealed that former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, was given up to November 29 to leave the United States after his visa was revoked.
According to the Attorney General, Ken Ofori-Atta’s detention by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was part of ongoing extradition processes.
Speaking on JoyNews Newsfile on Saturday, January 10, 2026, Dr Ayine stated, “I didn’t make this public, but I started investigating Ofori-Atta. In fact, in his case, I’m doing it with some foreign investigators who are tracking all the offshore dealings and so on. We are also doing our own investigations here. They are inconclusive, as we speak. I mean, we have not come to any conclusion”.
“So, I started working with the Americans in respect of Ofori-Atta long before OSP came up with the announcement. I started working with them, and I want Ghanaians to know that he just didn’t overstay his visa,” he clarified.
The AG explained, “The visa was actually revoked. So, it’s not that Ofori-Atta overstayed. So, in July, the American State Department revoked his visa, and they gave him up to November 29 to leave the United States. He did not. And then, that is how come that they decided they were going to now pursue him, and arrest him. Actually, the arrest was supposed to occur on January 4th [2026], and they did not do so, but on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, they apprehended him in the Virginia area and took him into custody”.
“It’s not exactly about immigration. It was revoked. The visa was revoked. I am telling you this on authority,” he stated.
Additionally, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine announced that embattled former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, will appear before an immigration judge on January 20, 2025.
Watch the video below:
Ken Ofori-Atta in ICE custody: ICE carried out the arrest of Ken Ofori-Atta, but I understand the FBI was also involved – Victor Emmanuel Smith, Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States.#PMExpress pic.twitter.com/p2xPaHnltD
— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) January 12, 2026