Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta will reappear before a United States immigration court on June 15, 2026, for a crucial hearing that could influence both his attempt to secure residency in America and Ghana’s push to have him returned to face criminal charges.
Court documents show the case has been scheduled for an individual hearing at 1:00 pm before Judge David A. Gardey at the Annandale Immigration Court in Virginia. The proceeding is expected to take place virtually.
The hearing comes weeks after Ofori-Atta was freed from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on April 7, following a court order granting him bail set at $65,000.
His Ghanaian legal representatives, Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners, confirmed his release at the time, stating that he had since reunited with his family.
“Mr Ofori-Atta remains fully committed to use due process in defence of his rights as guaranteed under the constitution and laws of the United States,” the legal team said in a statement.
The June hearing is expected to go beyond earlier procedural appearances, with the court likely to examine the substance of his immigration case and the arguments surrounding his right to remain in the U.S.
Ofori-Atta reportedly entered the United States on May 28, 2025, on a visitor’s visa that expired on November 27, 2025. He stayed beyond the authorised period, leading to his arrest by ICE on January 6, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Authorities in Accra are seeking his return to answer more than 70 criminal charges alongside five others in ongoing corruption-related investigations. Among the matters reportedly under scrutiny are allegations tied to the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited contract.
Ofori-Atta’s U.S.-based lawyer, Enayat Qasimi, has argued that his client is pursuing a “pathway to residency” in the United States rather than returning to Ghana. He has also raised questions about whether the former minister would receive a fair trial if sent back, describing the legal action against him as politically motivated.
The former minister served under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from 2017 until early 2024 and was one of the most influential figures in the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration. His tenure included Ghana’s 2023 IMF bailout programme but also drew sharp criticism over the country’s debt crisis and the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, which affected many bondholders and pensioners.
The June 15 hearing is therefore expected to draw close attention in both Ghana and the United States, as it may determine whether Ofori-Atta remains in America or moves a step closer to being returned home for trial.
