Ghana’s Embassy in Washington D.C. to reopen on May 29

Ghana's Embassy in Washington D.C. will reopen on May 29, 2025. The closure was due to a major corruption scandal.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, ordered the temporary shutdown. This followed allegations of widespread corruption at the Mission.

Fred Kwarteng, an IT staff member hired in August 2017, is a key figure. He admitted to creating an unauthorized link on the Embassy’s website. This link redirected applicants to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC).

Visa and passport applicants were charged unapproved fees between $29.75 and $60. These payments went directly into Kwarteng’s account without Ministry approval.

Investigations suggest this scheme may have lasted for five years undetected.

On May 27, 2025, the Ministry announced a new team of diplomats will take over operations. A senior official from the Ministry will lead this team.

The goal is to overhaul the system and restore integrity at the Embassy. Ongoing structural reforms are also part of this effort.

An IT team has been deployed to fix the Embassy’s website and payment platforms. They will remove all unofficial links associated with the Embassy's digital infrastructure.

The Ministry assured the public that measures are in place to address service backlogs. They apologized for any inconvenience caused by the closure.

For inquiries, contact:
Email: [email protected] | Phone: +1 202 686 4520
Email: [email protected] | Phone: +233 240 793 072

The circumstances leading to the closure have been reported to authorities for investigation and sanctions.

The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to enhance service delivery and uphold transparency. They aim to safeguard Ghana’s reputation internationally.