Accra: Embattled former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has reportedly been denied bail by a United States immigration court.
According to Ghana Web, veteran journalist Alfred Ogbamey indicated that the former minister's bail application, which was heard on February 19, 2026, was unsuccessful. Lawyers for Ken Ofori-Atta had requested the court to grant bail to allow him to seek medical attention. However, the presiding judge, David Gardey, denied the request.
Judge Gardey of the Annandale Court in Virginia ruled that bail was unnecessary, stating that Ofori-Atta has access to adequate medical care at the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility where he is being held-the Caroline Detention Facility. At the hearing, lawyers argued that Ofori-Atta should be granted bail to access proper medical care, but the judge insisted that the former minister has adequate access to medical needs at the ICE facility.
Checks by GhanaWeb indicate that the former minister remains in ICE custody. A search on the official website of the United States Department of Homeland Security showed that Ken Ofori-Atta was still being held at the Caroline Detention Facility as of 1:00 p.m. on February 23, 2026. The development suggests that the former minister, who was detained by ICE on January 6, 2026, could remain in custody until April 27, 2026, when the court is expected to begin his deportation hearing.