In a decisive move to uphold accountability and restore public confidence, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has ordered the immediate recall of all staff at the country’s embassy in Washington, D.C., following the uncovering of a significant visa and passport fraud scheme.
The decision follows the outcome of a comprehensive audit that exposed a long-running unauthorized operation within the embassy. According to the Foreign Minister, the probe revealed that a locally hired IT staff member, identified as Mr. Fred Kwarteng, created a rogue web link on the embassy’s official website. The link redirected visa and passport applicants to his private business, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), where he allegedly charged illegal fees ranging from $29.75 to $60 per application.
“These fees were not sanctioned by the Ministry and were not approved by Parliament under the Fees and Charges Act,” Mr. Ablakwa said, emphasizing that the fraudulent scheme is believed to have been active for at least five years.
In response, the Ministry has taken several sweeping actions including the immediate recall of all embassy staff, the suspension of all locally recruited personnel, the dissolution of the embassy’s IT department, and the temporary closure of the Washington mission to allow for a full-scale restructuring.
“This is a clear message that accountability will not be compromised in our foreign service,” Mr. Ablakwa stated.
The case has been referred to the Attorney-General’s office for possible prosecution and efforts to recover stolen funds. The move has been widely regarded as one of the strongest anti-corruption actions taken within Ghana’s foreign missions in recent years.
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem