Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken the unprecedented step of temporarily shutting down its embassy in Washington, D.C., following the uncovering of a large-scale fraud scheme involving visa and passport processing.
Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced a sweeping crackdown after a special audit team he commissioned uncovered what he called an “elaborate fraudulent scheme” orchestrated by a staff member and possible collaborators within the embassy.
At the center of the scandal is Mr. Fred Kwarteng, a locally recruited IT staff member who, according to audit findings — and by his own admission — created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website. This link redirected applicants seeking visas and passports to a private company he owned, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), where he allegedly charged illegal fees ranging from $29.75 to $60 per person.
Mr. Kwarteng admitted to creating the unauthorized link and running the operation.
The scheme is believed to have run undetected for at least five years, generating undisclosed profits that were never reported to the ministry or government. None of the additional fees had parliamentary approval as required under Ghana’s Fees and Charges Act.
Drastic Measures Announced
📌 In response, the Foreign Ministry has implemented a series of bold measures, including:
📌 Immediate dismissal of Mr. Kwarteng and a formal referral to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution and recovery of funds.
📌 Recall of all Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff currently posted at the Washington mission.
📌 Suspension of all locally hired staff at the embassy.
📌 Dissolution of the embassy’s IT department.
📌 Request for the Auditor-General to conduct a forensic audit of all embassy transactions.
📌 Temporary closure of the embassy to allow for a full restructuring and systems overhaul.
Minister Ablakwa acknowledged that the move may cause inconvenience to visa and passport applicants but emphasized that the government is committed to rooting out corruption.
“President Mahama’s government will continue to demonstrate zero tolerance for corruption, naked conflict of interest, and blatant abuse of office,” the Foreign Minister declared.
The developments have sent shockwaves through diplomatic and diaspora communities, with many observers praising the swift action while also questioning how such a scheme went undetected for so long.
Further updates are expected as investigations proceed.
