Justice Abdulai, a lawyer and lecturer at the Law Faculty of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), has asked anti-corruption agencies in the country not to be discouraged by Ken Ofori-Atta’s bail.
He says in as much as many anti-grafts campaigners want the former Finance Minister to account for his stewardship, his release from ICE’s detention should not be a bother to those seeking his accountability.
Speaking on Ghana Tonight on TV3 Wednesday, April 8, 2026, he said although the bail granted the former Minister might not sound interesting to many Ghanaians, they should keep being optimistic about the push for his extradition.
“So, if that is the case, as distasteful as this may be to the generality of the Ghanaian, particularly for anti-corruption watchers, this should not dampen our spirits, it should not affect our morale in the Ghanaian camp.”
According to him, granting a bail to Mr. Ofori-Atta is part of the rule of law, urging the public to accept the development as it is and keep pushing for the extradition.
“It may not be as sweet as expected, it is part of the rule of law and how justice is supposed to run. We should accept it in good faith and still fight for the extradition,” he stated.
His comments follow the release of the former Finance Minister from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on bail, on a judicial order.
His release has also been confirmed in a statement issued on April 8, by his lawyer, Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo of Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline & Partners.
According to the lawyers, Ofori-Atta is committed to pursuing all matters through lawful channels.
“He remains fully committed to use due process in defence of his rights as guaranteed under the constitution and laws of the United States,” Mr Premo noted.
Ofori-Atta is scheduled to reappear in court on April 27, 2026, for deportation proceedings, as the matter continues to unfold amid missing paperwork and jurisdictional delays.
The bail grant comes after Ofori-Atta’s legal team successfully argued that without a formal extradition request from Ghana on record, the court could not legally consider him a flight risk.
His release was secured through a private bond company, reportedly for a substantial sum.
At a previous hearing in March 2026, the presiding judge had specifically requested sight of Ghana’s extradition request before determining Ofori-Atta’s bail application.
The judge signalled that such documentation would be critical to assessing whether Ofori-Atta posed a flight risk, a key factor in bail decisions.
However, according to sources familiar with the matter, the US Attorney General has not provided a copy of Ghana’s extradition request to the State Attorney for submission to the court. The reasons for this delay, meanwhile, remain unclear.
A source familiar with the proceedings explained, “In the absence of sighting a copy of the extradition request, he could not be deemed a flight risk.”
Ofori-Atta was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 6, 2026, and held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia.
The presiding judge had previously requested that Ghana’s extradition request be submitted to the court to assess bail conditions.
However, the US Attorney General is yet to transmit the document to the State Attorney handling the case.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Special Prosecutor in Ghana continues to pursue its corruption case against the former Finance Minister, awaiting his return.
