Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Smith, has confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was involved in the arrest of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who was picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the early hours of January 7, 2026.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Ambassador Smith said he became aware of the arrest shortly after it occurred and subsequently contacted Ghana’s Attorney-General, Dr Dominic Ayine, who confirmed that U.S. authorities had moved in on the former minister. While ICE carried out the arrest, Smith said the FBI was also involved in the operation, a detail he said was communicated to the Attorney-General by U.S. officials.
“I called the Attorney General, Mr. Ayine and he confirmed that the FBI had been in touch with him, that they picked up former minister and one other, and we talked a little bit, and he was always in the picture, you know, the ICE did the picking up, but the FBI were also involved.” he said
According to the Ambassador, the arrest comes amid an extradition request submitted by the Government of Ghana and transmitted to the U.S. Department of Justice on December 29, 2025. He suggested that the involvement of both ICE and the FBI indicated a convergence of immigration enforcement and criminal investigative processes.
Ambassador Smith revealed that the Ghanaian Embassy in Washington sought consular access to Mr Ofori-Atta shortly after his detention, in line with international diplomatic protocols. Although U.S. authorities initially agreed in principle to facilitate a visit, the embassy was later informed that the former minister had declined to meet embassy officials without his lawyers present. After several hours, embassy officials were further notified that he had refused consular access entirely, bringing the attempt to an end.
“And they said this to me, that the detainee is unwilling to have us visit him without his lawyers. And therefore, they asked me to hold on until a little bit of disappointment, because I know Ken personally. He may not be my friend, but I know him personally.” he stated
On matters of the former Minister’s health, the Ambassador said ICE officials assured the embassy that Mr Ofori-Atta had undergone a medical assessment upon his arrest and had been deemed fit for detention. He added that the former minister was receiving his prescribed medication and did not require external medical treatment at the time. ICE officials, he said, also confirmed that Mr Ofori-Atta was picked up from his residence.
While acknowledging that many Ghanaians face immigration-related enforcement actions in the United States, Ambassador Smith said U.S. authorities had indicated that Mr Ofori-Atta’s case was considered high-profile, given his former position as Ghana’s Finance Minister and the existence of a formal extradition request from the Ghanaian government. He declined to comment on the specifics of the visa issues involved, stating that those details had been communicated to him by the Attorney-General.
Related Posts
