Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has taken swift and sweeping action in response to revelations of a long-running visa and passport fraud scheme at Ghana’s embassy in Washington, D.C.
In a statement shared on his social media platforms on Monday, May 26, 2025, Mr. Ablakwa announced the immediate dismissal of Mr. Fred Kwarteng, a locally recruited IT staffer accused of masterminding the fraudulent operation.
Mr. Kwarteng, who was employed at the embassy in August 2017, allegedly created an unauthorised link on the embassy’s official website. This link redirected unsuspecting visa and passport applicants to a private company he owned—Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC)—which charged extra fees ranging from US$29.75 to US$60 without any approval from the Ministry or Parliament.
“The investigations reveal that he and his collaborators operated this illegal scheme for at least five years,” the Minister disclosed.
Mr. Ablakwa confirmed that the matter has been referred to the Attorney-General for prosecution and for steps to recover funds illegally obtained through the scheme.
“This conduct is a serious breach of public trust and will be met with the full force of the law,” he warned.
Beyond the dismissal of Mr. Kwarteng, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has taken additional steps to ensure accountability and prevent future abuse. All Ministry staff currently posted at the Washington embassy have been recalled, and all locally recruited staff have been suspended. The entire IT department at the mission has also been dissolved.
While acknowledging that these drastic measures may cause temporary disruptions for visa and passport applicants, Mr. Ablakwa stressed that the actions are necessary to uphold integrity in Ghana’s diplomatic operations.
“President Mahama’s government will continue to demonstrate zero tolerance for corruption, naked conflict of interest, and blatant abuse of office,” he assured.
