Ghana’s embassy in Washington DC closed over alleged corruption – Ablakwa

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced the closure of Ghana's embassy in Washington DC. This decision follows allegations of corrupt practices by staff.

Ablakwa stated that the embassy will be closed for a few days. The closure is part of ongoing restructuring and system improvements. He shared this information in a post on X.

With support from President Mahama, an audit team was formed months ago. They investigated alleged corruption at the embassy in Washington DC.

Ablakwa mentioned the immediate dismissal of Mr. Fred Kwarteng. Kwarteng worked in the IT department and was hired on August 11, 2017.

Investigations revealed he created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website. This link diverted visa and passport applicants to his company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC). He charged extra fees without ministry approval, ranging from US$29.75 to US$60 per applicant.

Kwarteng operated this scheme for at least five years with collaborators. His actions have been reported to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution and fund recovery.

All Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff at the Washington embassy have been recalled immediately. The IT department has been dissolved, and all locally recruited staff are suspended.

Ablakwa also invited the Auditor-General to conduct a forensic examination of transactions. This will help determine the total cost of this fraudulent scheme.

He apologized for any inconvenience these measures may cause visa and passport applicants. Ablakwa emphasized that President Mahama’s government will maintain zero tolerance for corruption and abuse of office.