Lawyers for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta have clarified that no substantive court hearing took place on February 19, despite widespread public expectation that his bond application would be considered.
A member of the defence team, Frank Davies, on the AM Show, said what occurred in court amounted only to a brief procedural filing and not a formal hearing.
“There was no hearing on the 19th,” Mr Davies said. “The Department of Justice counsel filed a one-liner in court on the 18th of February, indicating that extradition proceedings had been requested, but the contents were not disclosed.”
According to him, the filing by the United States Department of Justice did not provide the court with sufficient documentation to make any ruling on Ofori-Atta’s request for bond.
As a result, the court was unable to determine whether the former minister should be granted temporary release from detention.
Mr Davies said the presiding judge is now considering setting a new date in mid-March for the immigration court to properly hear the matter.
“The judge is considering setting a date for mid-March. That is some good update for us,” he stated.
The February 19 sitting had been scheduled after the court insisted that it could not act on verbal claims without documentary proof of Ghana’s extradition request.
Ofori-Atta has been in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since January 6, 2026, and is currently being held at a detention facility in Bowling Green, Virginia.
He travelled to the United States in early 2025 for medical treatment for a chronic liver condition.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor charged him with corruption and financial misconduct in relation to the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) revenue assurance contract.
On February 26, the OSP confirmed that formal extradition proceedings had commenced, with US authorities acknowledging receipt of Ghana’s extradition documents, including the charge sheet and summons.
In a related development, INTERPOL permanently removed a Red Notice earlier issued against Ofori-Atta in February.
The Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files said the notice breached the organisation’s political neutrality rules, citing polarised political statements by Ghanaian officials.
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