The Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, Elikem Kotoko, has launched a scathing critique of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, accusing him of using his prolonged stay in the United States as a strategic maneuver to evade legal accountability in Ghana.
Speaking in a recent interview, Mr. Kotoko dismissed suggestions that Ofori-Atta’s presence abroad is necessitated by ongoing health challenges – contending that the circumstances surrounding the former minister’s detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), suggest a deliberate attempt to avoid answering for his stewardship of the Ghanaian economy.
“Let nobody put any velvet gloves on this matter. It is a conscious attempt to avoid accountability rather than a genuine medical situation. He failed to seek the appropriate extensions and has overstayed his permitted period. Both Mr. Ofori-Atta and his lawyers have failed themselves by allowing this to escalate into an international embarrassment”
Elikem Kotoko, Deputy CEO of the Forestry Commission
While the former minister’s legal team, led by Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo, maintains that the detention is a procedural administrative issue related to a “pending petition for adjustment of status,” Mr. Kotoko argued that the failure to secure proper visa extensions reflects a lack of respect for international protocols and domestic accountability.
The Ghanaian government, through Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Dr. Dominic Ayine, has challenged the narrative that the detention is a routine immigration overstay. The controversy deepened following confirmation from the Embassy of Ghana in Washington, D.C., that Ofori-Atta is currently being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia.
According to Dr. Ayine, Ofori-Atta’s U.S. visa was formally revoked last year, a decision linked to active investigations in Ghana rather than a simple expiration.
He noted that the revocation coincides with a 78-count indictment brought against Ofori-Atta by the Office of the Special Prosecutor, involving the controversial GHS 1.4 billion SML revenue assurance contract and procurement irregularities related to the National Cathedral project.
Clean Break from Deliberate Destruction
Mr. Kotoko further contrasted Ofori-Atta’s performance with that of the current Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, maintaining that while the current administration is making significant gains, Ofori-Atta presided over a period of consistent economic decline.
He pointed to the steady drop in economic indices during the former minister’s tenure as evidence of what he termed a “deliberate destruction of the country’s fiscal foundations.”
“Look at the gains we are making under Ato Forson and imagine what would have happened if Ken Ofori-Atta was able to give us a scintilla of that, even over half of their tenure”
Elikem Kotoko, Deputy CEO of the Forestry Commission
A significant portion of Mr. Kotoko’s critique focused on the continued relationship between the government and businesses associated with the former minister.
Mr Kotoko called for an immediate cessation of all state dealings with Enterprise Insurance and the broader Enterprise Group, companies in which Ofori-Atta reportedly holds significant interests. He argued that maintaining these business ties undermines the government’s commitment to transparency and moral leadership.
The Forestry Commission Deputy CEO noted that his use of harsh descriptors for the former minister is a reflection of the “court of public judgment,” where he believes the consensus on Ofori-Atta’s legacy is already settled.
He urged the state to remain resolute in its pursuit of the Operation Recover All the Loot (ORAL) initiative, regardless of the former minister’s current location or legal maneuvers in the American judicial system.
The Embassy of Ghana has indicated that although it has offered consular assistance, Ken Ofori-Atta has declined to engage with embassy officials without his U.S.-based legal team present. This standoff adds another layer of complexity to the diplomatic and legal tension between Accra and Washington.
With an extradition request already submitted to U.S. authorities in December 2025, the case is expected to test the strength of bilateral legal cooperation in matters of high-profile financial misconduct.
As Ofori-Atta remains in the Virginia facility, the domestic debate over his accountability continues to intensify. For critics like Kotoko, the detention is not just an immigration hurdle but a symptom of a deeper refusal to face the consequences of past policies.
