By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
Private legal practitioner and President of the Accountability Forum, Kwame Owusu Danso has described the detention of former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a national embarrassment.
Kwame Owusu Danso believes Ghana should be concerned about how Ofori-Atta is being treated, given his status as a former government official.
“ICE detention of Ofori Atta is a national embarrassment because whether we like it or not, he is a property of the Republic of Ghana”, he said.
Ofori-Atta was detained by ICE on January 6, 2026, reportedly due to immigration status breaches. The Ghanaian Embassy in the United States confirmed his detention. His lawyers however claim he has a pending petition for adjustment of status, allowing him to remain in the US while his application is reviewed.
During a panel discussion on GBC’s Focus today, January 14, 2026, Owusu Danso revealed that, he agrees with the concept of bail but criticizes harsh bail conditions. He insisted that, Ofori-Atta return and face the law, but the harsh bail conditions might be preventing him from returning.
