The bond hearing for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori‑Atta in the United States is set for today, February 19, 2026, as a federal judge considers whether Ghanaian authorities have filed proper proof of an extradition request. Judge David A. Gardey told lawyers handling the former minister’s immigration case that the court “cannot act on assertions without proof”, demanding that documented evidence of an extradition request be submitted by today before he considers any decision on bond or release.
The hearing follows a January 20 closed-door court hearing in which the judge halted Ofori-Atta’s bail request after state lawyers objected to his release, citing Ghana’s ongoing extradition attempt. Mr. Ofori-Atta, who served as Finance Minister in the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, has been detained by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since early January while his immigration status is reviewed. Prosecutors say his visitor visa was revoked, leaving him without a lawful basis to remain in the country.
He has cooperated with authorities and is exploring legal options, such as a petition for an adjustment of status that would permit him to stay in the US under current immigration law, according to his attorneys’ arguments during the January hearing. Ghanaian authorities have separately moved to secure his extradition to face those charges, a process that hinges on formal documentation now due before the judge’s ruling.
In a related development, INTERPOL recently removed a Red Notice against Ofori-Atta, a move his lawyers say was based on the notice’s “predominantly political” character.
