Washington DC: Ghana’s Embassy in Washington DC has been temporarily closed as of Monday, May 26, to facilitate a comprehensive restructuring and systems overhaul initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The closure follows damning findings from a special audit team that uncovered alleged corrupt practices at the Embassy.

According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated that with the firm support of President John Dramani Mahama, he has undertaken decisive actions after receiving the audit report. The report led to the immediate dismissal of Mr. Fred Kwarteng, a local staff member hired in 2017, who was found to have created an unauthorized link on the Embassy’s website. This link redirected visa and passport applicants to his company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), where he charged additional fees without the Ministry’s knowledge, keeping the proceeds in his private account.

Kwarteng’s unauthorized charges ranged from $29.75 to $60 per applicant and were not approved by the Ministry or Parliament as required under the Fees and Charges Act. The investigation revealed that Kwarteng and his collaborators operated this scheme for at least five years. This conduct has been reported to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution and retrieval of the funds obtained through fraudulent means.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry has recalled all its staff from the Washington Embassy and dissolved the Embassy’s IT Department. Additionally, all locally recruited staff have been suspended. The Auditor-General has been invited to conduct a forensic examination of all transactions to determine the total cost of the fraudulent scheme.

The statement expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to visa and passport applicants due to these measures. It reaffirmed President Mahama’s government’s commitment to zero tolerance for corruption, conflict of interest, and abuse of office.