Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the temporary closure of its embassy in Washington, D.C., after a special audit uncovered a long-running corruption scandal involving fraudulent visa and passport processing.
The announcement was made by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Monday, May 26, 2025. He described the move as a necessary step to restore credibility and transparency at the diplomatic mission.
“This is part of the drastic and decisive actions I have taken with the firm support of President Mahama, following the damning findings of a special audit team I put together,” Mr. Ablakwa stated.
At the center of the scandal is Fred Kwarteng, a locally recruited IT staff member hired in August 2017. Kwarteng confessed to creating an unauthorized link on the embassy’s official website, which redirected visa and passport applicants to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC).
Applicants were charged unapproved fees ranging from US$29.75 to US$60, with payments deposited directly into Kwarteng’s personal account. These charges were not approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Parliament, violating the Fees and Charges Act. The fraudulent operation is believed to have been running undetected for over five years.
In response to the findings: All Foreign Ministry staff at the Washington D.C. embassy have been recalled to Accra, the embassy’s IT department has been dissolved and all locally recruited staff have been suspended pending further investigations. The case has been referred to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution. The Auditor-General has been tasked to conduct a full forensic audit to assess the total financial loss to the state.
Minister Ablakwa acknowledged the inconvenience the embassy closure may cause to Ghanaians and foreign nationals, but emphasized that such bold measures are essential to cleanse the system.
“President Mahama’s government will continue to demonstrate zero tolerance for corruption, naked conflict of interest, and blatant abuse of office,” he affirmed.
The government says the embassy will remain closed until the restructuring and systems overhaul are complete.