Ghana's embassy in Washington to reopen for business on Thursday

The Embassy of Ghana in Washington D.C. will reopen on Thursday, May 29. It will resume full consular services after a temporary closure due to a corruption scandal.

The embassy closed on May 26 for restructuring and system improvements. This followed an IT breach that allowed a staff member to redirect applicants fraudulently.

On Tuesday, May 27, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement. It said a team of experienced diplomats would run the Mission. Their goal is to restore integrity and complete ongoing reforms.

An Information Technology (IT) team has been deployed as well. They will reconfigure the website and payment platforms to remove unauthorized links.

The case has been referred to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution. The aim is also to recover misappropriated funds.

Additionally, the Auditor-General will conduct a forensic audit. This audit will determine the total financial loss to the state.

The Ministry acknowledged the inconvenience caused to Ghanaians seeking services. However, they emphasized that these measures are necessary for accountability in diplomatic missions.

Background

The temporary shutdown addressed serious findings from a special audit team. This team uncovered fraudulent activities at the embassy.

A locally recruited IT officer, Fred Kwarteng, allegedly created an unauthorized link on their website. This link redirected applicants for visa and passport services to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC).

Unapproved fees between $29.75 and $60 were charged and deposited into his account. Investigations suggest this scheme operated undetected for at least five years.

In response to this scandal, all staff at the Washington D.C. embassy were recalled to Accra. The embassy's IT department was dissolved, and all locally recruited staff were suspended pending further investigation.

Below is the statement:

Press Release - Reopening of the Embassy of Ghana in Washington DC Download