By Sarah Baafi
Deputy Attorney-General, Justice Srem Sai, has disclosed that the United States visa of former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, was revoked in June 2025, dismissing claims that the visa had merely expired.
According to him, this is the verified information available to the Office of the Attorney-General.
Speaking on TV3’s KeyPoints on Saturday, January 10, Justice Srem Sai explained that the involvement of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is usually triggered by visa-related issues.
“ICE does not pursue individuals without immigration concerns. What happened here is that his visa was revoked in June 2025, not that it expired. The information available to us clearly indicates that his visa was revoked, meaning he has been staying in the United States without a valid visa,” he stated.
Available information suggests that a US visa may be revoked if the holder becomes ineligible, including instances of status violations, fraud, or falling under grounds of inadmissibility.
Meanwhile, ICE has detained the former Finance Minister over questions surrounding his immigration status. This development was confirmed in a public notice issued on January 7 by his legal team Menka-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners.
The lawyers disclosed that Mr. Ofori-Atta’s US legal representatives are engaging ICE and are optimistic that the matter will be resolved swiftly.
They further explained that Mr. Ofori-Atta has a pending petition for adjustment of status, which under US law allows an individual to remain legally in the country beyond the validity of their visa.
“Such changes of status are common under US immigration law,” the statement noted, adding that Mr. Ofori-Atta is fully cooperating with immigration authorities.
Mr. Ofori-Atta is currently wanted by the Attorney-General’s Office and the Office of the Special Prosecutor over alleged offences linked to the SML deal, the National Cathedral project, among others.
