Former Ghanaian Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, suspected of corruption and declared a fugitive by Ghanaian authorities since February, has been detained by US immigration authorities, his lawyers said Wednesday evening.

According to a statement released by his legal team in Ghana, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the US immigration and customs agency) detained Mr. Ofori-Atta because of his immigrant status.

"Yesterday, ICE arrested former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta because of his residency status in the United States," the statement said.

Ken Ofori-Atta, 66, has been in the United States since January 2025 to undergo medical treatment, including prostate cancer surgery.

The former minister, who has been under investigation by his country's justice system for a year, was declared a fugitive last February and was officially accused of corruption in November.

He is suspected of having caused heavy financial losses to the State through large transactions of public funds deemed suspicious.

His lawyers said the former minister had filed a request for adjustment of status, which, under U.S. law, allows an applicant to remain legally in the country beyond the validity of their visa.

"His American legal team is in contact with ICE and expects the matter to be resolved quickly," his lawyers added, noting that Mr. Ofori-Atta was fully cooperating with immigration authorities.

ICE's online prisoner locator indicated on Wednesday that Mr. Ofori-Atta was imprisoned in Carolina, in the U.S. state of Virginia (east).

Mr. Ofori-Atta served as Finance Minister from 2017 to 2024 under former President Nana Akufo-Addo and was one of the most influential figures in Ghana's recent economic management, overseeing controversial tax reforms and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

The administration of US President Donald Trump drastically restricted the issuance of visas for nationals of many African countries, but Ghana had been removed from the list of affected countries following an agreement on the resettlement of people deported from the United States in Ghana.