Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, has said he is hopeful an extradition process will soon be initiated to return former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta to Ghana.
According to the AG, the American authorities are handling the process, and he does not have control over what happens with the Justice Department in the US, but he is hopeful.
The Attorney General further disclosed that he received briefings from US officials after Ken Ofori-Atta’s immigration status hearing.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Dr Ayine stated, “The American authorities are handling the process, and they are handling it in accordance with American law. So far, I don’t find anything wrong with what has taken place”.
“I’ve had reports from the United States regarding what has happened and what may happen, but these are confidential discussions, and I’m not supposed to talk to the media about what they have briefed me on,” he said.
He added, “What is happening now is in relation to immigration law violations. That is separate and distinct from the extradition request. If it was put before the immigration judge that there’s an extradition request, he wants a formal filing before him. So the Justice Department would have to do that before a decision is taken”.
“I don’t control what happens with the Justice Department in the US, but I am very hopeful, extremely hopeful, that this will go through for Ken to come back to Ghana,” he added.
The Attorney General’s comments follow, a US Judge, David A Gardey, presiding over the case of Ghana’s Finance Minister, who has requested proof of Ken Ofori-Atta’s extradition request from the US federal government following the closed-door immigration hearing on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
The state attorneys opposed a bond application, known as a bail application in Ghana, for Ofori-Atta, arguing that Ghana has submitted an extradition request for him.
The Judge, however, declined to make an immediate determinationadding that no documentary evidence had been presented to support the assertion.
Judge David A Gardey directed the federal government to file any evidence of an extradition request on or before February 19, 2026.
The immigration case involving Ken Ofori-Atta, who has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since January 6, 2026, was later adjourned to April 27, 2026.
Ken Ofori-Atta appeared before a United States immigration court in Virginia on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. He was spotted wearing a dark shirt and a face mask during the hearing
His case was heard at the Annandale Immigration Court before Immigration Judge David Gardey.
The former finance minister was represented by his legal team, including Christopher Chaisson of Whiteford Taylor & Preston and Kwao Amagashi.
Ken Ofori-Atta is currently being held at the Caroline Detention Centre.
The hearing was a bond redetermination proceeding addressing his immigration status, following the revocation of his visa and related overstay/loss of lawful status issues.
It was initially set up as virtual (via Webex), attracting significant public interest with many attempting to join.
Due to the high public attention, Ofori-Atta’s legal team, led by U.S. counsel Christopher Chaisson, successfully requested that the proceedings be held in camera (private and closed to the public), and Immigration Judge David Gardey granted the request.
Ofori-Atta will remain in ICE detention at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia, in the meantime.
Watch the video below:
I monitored Ken Ofori-Atta’s US court case and received confidential reports on the proceedings. Although the case involved immigration issues, I'm hopeful an extradition process will soon be initiated to return him to Ghana – AG, Dominic Akuritinga Ayine.#JoyNews pic.twitter.com/5FunPWqSvy
— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) January 21, 2026