Lead convener of pressure group Arise Ghana, Bernard Mornah, has dismissed claims that the reported detention of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in the United States is linked to any extradition request by the Ghanaian government.

Speaking to JoyNews on Tuesday at the protest grounds near the US Embassy in Accra, Mr Mornah said information available to his group suggests the matter is purely an immigration issue.

“What is happening is that he has overstayed his visa in the United States. He has applied for permanent residency in the United States of America,” he claimed.

According to him, US immigration authorities allegedly detained Mr Ofori-Atta after determining that he was no longer lawfully permitted to move freely within the country while his residency application is being processed.

“The US realised that once he has overstayed his visa, he cannot move around in the United States as a legitimate person. So the immigration and customs enforcement of the USA arrested him. They have detained him so that they can go through the motions as to whether his application for permanency will be granted or otherwise. It has nothing to do with the extradition that the Ghana government has requested,” Mr Mornah alleged.

His comments come amid public debate over reports that the US had begun processes that could lead to the extradition of the former minister, even as he is said to be preparing for a virtual court hearing in the coming weeks.

Asked why Arise Ghana proceeded with its protest despite these developments, Mr Mornah said the group believes Mr Ofori-Atta must return to Ghana to face what he described as accountability for the country’s recent economic challenges.

“We are insisting that Ken Ofori-Atta has been responsible for the economic abortion that this nation has gone through,” he said, using strong language to criticise the former minister’s policies.

He further accused Mr Ofori-Atta of presiding over decisions that, in his view, contributed to Ghana’s economic downturn, including allegations of conflict of interest and misuse of state resources—claims that have been denied by the former minister and his legal team in the past.

Ken Ofori-Atta, who served as Ghana's Finance Minister from 2017 to 2024 under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, has been at the centre of multiple public controversies over alleged financial mismanagement and procurement-related concerns.

In recent years, the Office of the Special Prosecutor announced investigations into several transactions approved during his tenure, including revenue assurance contracts, public debt restructuring processes, and payments made under sole-sourcing arrangements.

His lawyers have previously stated that he remains willing to cooperate with any lawful investigative process, citing health and security concerns for his temporary stay outside the country.

Arise Ghana says it will continue its protests until what it describes as “full accountability” is ensured.