Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said the United States government has assured Ghana that it will not stand in the way of the extradition of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori‑Atta and former MASLOC boss Sedina Tamakloe Attionu as part of ongoing bilateral cooperation.
Ofori‑Atta was detained in the United States in January 2026, amid Ghana’s formal extradition request relating to corruption and procurement charges filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
He remains in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody while legal proceedings assessing his immigration status and extradition request continue.
Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, who was convicted of causing financial loss to the state and sentenced in Ghana in 2024, has also been a subject of ongoing extradition efforts.
The Attorney General said the formal request sent to the US Department of Justice in mid‑2024 remains under review, with authorities awaiting procedural completion.
During the bilateral meeting in Accra with the acting US Ambassador to Ghana, Rolf Olson and his team, Mr Ablakwa said the United States Government had made clear that its cooperation on these matters would not prejudice judicial processes or block Ghana’s efforts.
“Ghana and the United States applauded our improved security and law enforcement cooperation, leading to the extradition of 9 suspects from Ghana to the USA in 2025, and the ongoing commendable efforts to also send over 2 Ghanaians of high interest from the US to Ghana.”
“The United States Government has assured that, without prejudice to judicial processes, it will not stand in the way of Ghana as regards the removal of Ken Ofori‑Atta and Sedina Tamakloe Attionu.”
This assurance seeks to reinforce confidence in US‑Ghana legal cooperation, even as both extradition cases progress through their distinct legal pathways.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa:
“Yesterday, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of our Ghana-US bilateral relations and agreed on priority areas for cooperation in 2026.
The meeting which I hosted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reviewed the significant progress we made in 2025.
Acting US Ambassador, Rolf Olson led the US team.
We welcomed our successful negotiations which exempted Ghana from President Trump’s visa sanctions. Ghana will continue to be exempted from visa sanctions and $15,000 visa bonds imposed on other countries.
The meeting acknowledged the removal of President Trump’s 15% tariff on a wide range of unprocessed and semi-processed agricultural products from Ghana and expressed satisfaction with its implementation thus far.
The US conveyed another great news, specifically relating to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) — the House of Representatives voted massively on Monday (a vote of 340 to 54) to extend AGOA by 3 years. AGOA provides duty-free access to the U.S. market for eligible Sub-Saharan countries and products. We expect a final endorsement by the Senate shortly. This positive development will boost local garment production and create more jobs.
On World Cup preparations, we were assured that special measures have been put in place to expedite visa applications. This is also expected to address the current delays in securing visa appointments which we all agreed must be fixed. The US embassy will address a press conference on these new World Cup Visa Application Initiatives soon.
Ghana and the United States applauded our improved security and law enforcement cooperation leading to the extradition of 9 suspects from Ghana to the USA in 2025, and the ongoing commendable efforts to also send over 2 Ghanaians of high interest from the US to Ghana.
The United States Government has assured, that without prejudice to judicial processes, it will not stand in the way of Ghana as regards the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta and Sedina Tamakloe Attionu.
Our engagement confirmed recent payments to US companies and the enhanced business climate which is ideal for stronger Ghana-US trade.
A new major health cooperation will soon be launched.
In 2026 Ghana will negotiate a bespoke trade agreement with the United States in our mutual benefit.
We are impressed with the incredible positive velocity of our Ghana-US bilateral relations.“
