Gov’t Cracks Down on Visa Fraud at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C.

The Government of Ghana has launched a forensic audit. This follows a multimillion-dollar visa fraud scheme at the embassy in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Fred Kwarteng has been dismissed for his role in the scandal. He created an unauthorized link on the embassy's website. This link redirected applicants to his company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC).

Kwarteng charged unapproved fees between $29.75 and $60 per applicant. He kept the money in his personal account. The scheme operated for five years with many collaborators.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa leads the Foreign Affairs Ministry. He shared measures taken by the government on social media:

1) Mr. Fred Kwarteng was immediately dismissed.

Kwarteng worked in the embassy’s IT department since August 11, 2017. He diverted applicants to GTC and charged extra fees without approval from the ministry or parliament.

2) All staff at the Washington embassy have been recalled home.

3) The embassy’s IT department has been dissolved.

4) All locally recruited staff at the embassy have been suspended.

5) The Auditor-General will conduct a forensic examination of all transactions.

6) Ghana’s embassy in Washington D.C. will close for a few days for restructuring and system updates.

This misconduct has been reported to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution and recovery of funds obtained through fraud.