Ghana’s government has temporarily closed its embassy in Washington, D.C., following the uncovering of a wide-ranging corruption scandal involving visa fraud and unauthorised payments, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Announcing the shutdown on Monday, Minister Ablakwa described the move as a “necessary and bold step” to restore credibility and transparency within Ghana’s diplomatic missions abroad.
“This is part of a decisive effort to restructure and overhaul embassy operations following shocking audit findings,” Ablakwa said. “With the support of President Mahama, we are taking bold action to fight corruption and rebuild trust.”
A special audit exposed a scheme led by Fred Kwarteng, a locally hired IT officer at the Washington embassy since 2017. Kwarteng reportedly created an unauthorised link on the official embassy website that redirected visa and passport applicants to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC).
Through this channel, applicants were charged illicit service fees ranging from $29.75 to $60 — payments that were never sanctioned under Ghana’s Charges Act. The funds were allegedly deposited directly into Kwarteng’s personal account. Investigators believe the fraudulent activity went unnoticed for at least five years.
The matter has been referred to Ghana’s Attorney-General for potential prosecution and the recovery of embezzled public funds.
In response to the scandal, all Foreign Ministry staff assigned to the Washington mission have been recalled to Accra. The embassy’s IT department has been dissolved, and all locally recruited personnel have been suspended pending further investigation.
Minister Ablakwa confirmed that the Auditor-General will lead a full forensic audit to determine the full extent of the financial losses to the state.
The closure, while significant, is expected to cause disruptions for Ghanaians and foreigners seeking consular services. Ablakwa acknowledged the inconvenience but emphasized the importance of accountability.
“We recognise the temporary impact this may have on the public,” he said. “However, we must prioritise integrity. The government of President Mahama maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption, abuse of office, and conflicts of interest.”
No timeline has been announced for the embassy’s reopening. The Foreign Affairs Ministry says services will resume only after a comprehensive restructuring process has been completed.
