Washington, D.C. — The Ghanaian Embassy in Washington, D.C. has been temporarily closed following revelations of serious misconduct uncovered by a special audit ordered by Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. The action, supported by President John Mahama, is part of a sweeping crackdown on alleged corruption and abuse of office at the diplomatic mission.
According to the Minister, one of the central figures in the scandal is Mr. Fred Kwarteng, a local staff member who joined the embassy’s IT department in August 2017. Investigators found that Kwarteng had created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website that redirected visa and passport applicants to a private company he owns, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC). Through this illegal scheme, he charged applicants additional fees ranging from $29.75 to $60 per transaction, keeping all proceeds in a personal account.
The Minister stated that Kwarteng has admitted to the unauthorized operation, which had allegedly been running for at least five years. The case has been referred to Ghana’s Attorney-General for possible prosecution and recovery of the illicit funds.
In response to the findings, Minister Ablakwa has ordered the immediate dismissal of Mr. Kwarteng. All Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff posted to the embassy have been recalled, and the embassy’s IT department has been dissolved. In addition, all locally recruited staff have been suspended pending further investigation.
A full forensic audit of the embassy’s operations has been commissioned, with the Auditor-General tasked to determine the extent of the financial damage caused by the scheme.
As the embassy undergoes restructuring and a complete systems overhaul, it will remain closed for several days. The Foreign Minister expressed regret for any inconvenience this may cause to visa and passport applicants but emphasized that the measures are necessary to restore integrity and transparency.
“We will continue to demonstrate zero tolerance for corruption, naked conflict of interest, and blatant abuse of office,” said Ablakwa, reaffirming the Mahama administration’s commitment to accountability in public service.
