On the morning of January 6, 2026, former Ghanaian Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Washington, D.C., marking a dramatic development in the ongoing SML corruption scandal that has gripped Ghana.

The arrest, sources say, was highly targeted, in contrast to the mass enforcement operations ICE typically conducts at factories, workplaces, and public spaces.

Ken Ofori-Atta, 66, was apprehended as he exited the Westlight apartment complex, an upscale residential building located at 1111 24th Street NW in Washington’s affluent West End neighborhood.

Known for its heightened security and proximity to key landmarks, including the White House less than a mile away, the Westlight building has attracted prominent residents, including former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

Until his arrest, Ofori-Atta reportedly lived in the building with his wife and son.

Following his arrest, Ofori-Atta was driven approximately 89 miles to the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia, a journey of roughly an hour and a half. His legal team in Ghana has stated that the detention relates to the status of his stay in the United States, rather than any direct enforcement of Ghanaian charges.

He is scheduled to appear in a U.S. court on January 20, 2026, concerning his arrest.

The former minister left Ghana on January 4, 2025, departing from Terminal 3 of Kotoka International Airport in Accra aboard United Airlines Flight 997.

He was traveling on a Ghanaian passport with valid visas for the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.

His U.S. visa, however, was revoked in July 2025, according to the Attorney-General Dr. Dominic Ayine.

The U.S. Department of State reportedly gave Ofori-Atta until November 29, 2025, to depart the country.

Ofori-Atta is currently facing multiple charges of corruption and corruption-related offences in Ghana for his alleged role in the controversial SML scandal.

The National Democratic Congress government has formally requested his extradition.

In the same scandal, Ernest Darko Akore, born February 5, 1958, is also facing charges. Akore left Ghana on November 19, 2024, traveling to New York on Delta Airlines Flight 156, and remains in the United States on a ten-year passport valid until 2031.

In interviews last year, a source close to Ofori-Atta indicated that he had no intention of returning to Ghana to face trial, citing fears of public humiliation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

The arrest by ICE, however, has placed him under legal constraints that may have implications for the extradition request.