Former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has been detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over issues related to his immigration status.
His legal team, who confirmed this on Wednesday, said Mr Ofori-Atta is detained at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia, a repurposed jail now operated by ICE under an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security.
The facility, located north of Fort A.P. Hill, has a capacity of 336 undocumented adult immigrants.
His lawyers have stated that they are taking steps to “regularise his status and secure his release,” emphasizing that the detention is an immigration matter.
They expressed confidence that it would be resolved through legal channels.
This incident compounds the former minister’s existing legal challenges in Ghana. He is currently among eight individuals facing 78 counts of alleged corruption.
The charges, linked to a revenue assurance contract between Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), include alleged breaches of the Criminal Offences Act and the Public Procurement Act.
The Caroline Detention Facility, formerly the Peumansend Creek Regional Jail, was converted into an immigration detention centre after its 2017 closure.
The complex spans 150 acres and consists of seven buildings, including six residential units segregated by gender.
Detainees are assigned housing based on a custody classification system that assesses immigration and criminal history, with varying levels of amenities and restrictions.
The former minister’s status and any potential timeline for his release remain subject to ongoing U.S. immigration proceedings.
