Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and cousin to former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, has reacted to the ongoing protest by pressure group Arise Ghana at the United States Embassy in Accra, where demonstrators are demanding the extradition of Ofori-Atta to Ghana to face justice.
In an exclusive interview with The1957News, Mr. Otchere-Darko stated that he had no knowledge of the protest, which began in the morning, but expressed hope that it “would be for a good course.”
The demonstration, which commenced on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, saw members of Arise Ghana, clad in red and black attire, converge at the US Embassy premises with placards bearing messages such as “Bring Ken Home,” “No Hiding Place for Corruption,” “Let Ofori-Atta Face Justice,” “Ken’s Leadership Killed Ghanaians,” and “Bring Ken Back.”
The protest is part of a campaign aimed at pressuring US authorities to facilitate Ofori-Atta’s return.
Arise Ghana has vowed to picket daily for two weeks and, if necessary, stage overnight stays with mattresses until their demands are met.
Lead Convenor Bernard Mornah emphasized the group’s determination, stating, “We’ve agreed to picket daily for 2 weeks in front of the US Embassy. If Ken Ofori Atta isn’t brought back, we’ll stay overnight, bringing our mattresses until he returns.”
The former Finance Minister, who left Ghana in January 2025 for medical treatment at the Mayo Clinic in the US, has been declared a fugitive by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) since February 2025.
He faces 78 counts of corruption and related offenses, including allegations tied to a GHS 125 million contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML), the National Cathedral Project, ambulance procurement, and electricity company contracts.
Ofori-Atta was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 6, 2026, in Washington, DC, for overstaying his visa and is currently held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia.
He is scheduled for a virtual court hearing on January 20, 2026, which could determine his deportation status. Ghana formally requested his extradition in December 2025, following an Interpol Red Notice issued in June 2025.
In related developments, Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Emmanuel Smith, revealed in a recent interview that Mr. Otchere-Darko had contacted him to express concerns about Ofori-Atta’s potential treatment upon return.
According Ambassador Smith, he assured Gabby that due process would be followed.
“I assured him that you have to go through the due process. I mean, everybody goes through the due process of law, so there’s not going to be like people are going to attack him,” he added.