Nat’l Tymes News Desk
LAWYER Kwame Jantuah, popular political commentator, and a member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), says the possible return of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to Ghana could expose top officials of the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government including former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Speaking on GHOne TV on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Mr Jantuah said he believes Mr Ofori-Atta’s possible extradition or return to Ghana will have serious political consequences.
“I foresee Ken Ofori-Atta’s return implicating many high-profile people, including former President Akufo-Addo,” he stated during a discussion on the former minister’s legal troubles in the United States.
Mr Jantuah, who is also a lawyer and energy expert, made the comments while reacting to Mr Ofori-Atta’s appearance before a US immigration court on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. The former Finance Minister was seen in court dressed in black and wearing a face mask.
Ken Ofori-Atta was arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 7, 2026, for overstaying his visa. ICE has described him as an illegal alien, explaining that his visa had been revoked and that he no longer has legal permission to remain in the United States. His actions, according to US authorities, violate immigration laws and could lead to his deportation.
Reports indicate that Mr Ofori-Atta left Ghana for the US between January 2 and 4, 2025, shortly after the NPP lost the 2024 general elections. Back home in Ghana, the former Finance Minister is wanted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
After several failed attempts to get him to return voluntarily to answer corruption-related allegations, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, declared him a wanted person. In November 2025, the OSP filed 78 corruption-related charges against Mr Ofori-Atta and five others.
The charges are linked to revenue assurance contracts between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML). Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has also commented on the arrest, describing it as a targeted operation rather than a routine immigration sweep.
He noted that Mr Ofori-Atta was arrested at the Westlight building, a luxury apartment complex in one of Washington DC’s most affluent neighbourhoods, about a 20-minute walk from the White House.
Meanwhile, the Ghanaian embassy in the US has confirmed that Mr Ofori-Atta declined to meet consular officials after his arrest unless his lawyers were present.
As legal processes continue in the US, many Ghanaians are closely watching developments, especially amid growing calls for the former Finance Minister to face justice at home.
Source: Nationaltymes.com
