A January 2025 invitation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to answer to multiple corruption charges, a formal declaration as a ‘fugitive from justice’ and being placed on the INTERPOL red alert; in the midst of all this, issues around his health and him challenging the OSP actions in Ghanaian courts while government hinted of a formal extradition request.
This was where efforts to exact accountability from the former minister for finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, had reached before the Ghana Embassy in the United States announced in early January 2026 that Ofori-Atta had been arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials on immigration offences.
GhanaFact debunked a viral image and video supposedly of the moment he was arrested by ICE officials even as Ghanaians waited for the first time Ofori-Atta (a detainee at the Caroline Detention Center) was going to appear in court for a formal hearing.
Day of first court appearance
On the day the former minister was scheduled to appear before an immigration judge for the first time, claims on social media, shared by among others, a presidential staffer and a popular media house, suggested that a Federal Court Judge had ordered Ofori-Atta’s deportation to Ghana.
These claims, however, were factually incorrect because the accused had yet to even appear before the court at the time the claims went viral. This highlights how misinformation can shape public perception even before matters of fact are established.
In this narrative report, GhanaFact digs into the journey of a false claim that preceded matters of fact.
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Genesis of the deportation claim before the court sat
Per our tracking, GhanaFact observed that a Facebook account, Political Hazard, made one of the earliest posts, claiming “US Federal Court Judge orders deportation of Fugitive Kennedy Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta.”
Subsequently, a similar claim was shared on X by a board member of the Ghana Digital Centres Limited (GDCL), Julius Kwame Anthony. The post which gained over 7,400 views has been deleted.
The claim was shared by several users on X and Facebook, (Here, here).
Later, the claim was amplified by a Ghanaian radio station, Okay 101.7 FM, which shared a flyer on Facebook at 6:14pm, with the quote “US Federal Court Judge orders deportation of Fugitive Kennedy Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta.”
Accompanying the post was the caption: “A United States Federal Court Judge has reportedly ordered the deportation of fugitive Kennedy Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta following legal proceedings in the U.S. Sources indicate that the court’s decision clears the way for his removal from the United States, amid ongoing efforts by authorities to have him return to Ghana to face outstanding legal matters.
“Further details on the timeline and conditions surrounding the deportation are yet to be officially confirmed by U.S. and Ghanaian authorities,” which has gathered more than 1000 likes, 391 comments, and 114 reshares.
These claims gained virality despite the absence of any official court ruling or verified documentation at the time they were shared.
What the hearing was actually about
Hours after the claim was shared, Ken Ofori-Atta appeared before the Annandale Immigration Court in Virginia, United States, on the night of January 20, 2026, as part of immigration proceedings following his arrest by ICE on January 6, 2026.
Contrary to the viral claims, Ofor-Atta’s appearance in court was not related to a deportation order.
According to a member of his legal team, Frank Davies, the proceedings focused on a bond application (commonly referred to as a bail application in Ghana), a procedural step in U.S. immigration cases to determine whether a detainee may be released from ICE custody while their immigration status is under review.
Additionally, a U.S.-based immigration lawyer, Jonelle Ocloo, clarified in an interview on JoyNews that the arraignment of Ken Ofori-Atta before the immigration court was not a deportation hearing.
“To be clear, I know that, you know, it was stated that today was his deportation hearing, but in fact, that is not actually so. What was happening today was a redetermination of his bond hearing.” (watch from 7 mins: 56 secs to 8 mins:13 secs).
Outcome of the hearing
At the conclusion of the January 20, 2026, proceedings, the court did not issue any deportation order. Instead, the bail application was scheduled to be determined on February 19, 2026, while the substantive immigration case was adjourned to April 27, 2026.
Ken Ofori-Atta remains in ICE custody, and no order of deportation has been issued from the United States court or government.
Written by Nusrat Essah
