Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is scheduled to appear before Parliament next week to brief the House on new and troubling findings related to a corruption scandal at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington DC.
The minister, in a social media post, disclosed that a 2023 agreement between dismissed IT staffer Fred Kwarteng and a top official at the embassy has been deemed unauthorized and illegal. He confirmed that the agreement has been nullified and will not be upheld.
“More on this plus frozen accounts and other remedial actions will be presented in greater detail when I address Parliament next week,” he wrote.
The development follows the reopening of the Washington DC embassy on May 29, after a short-term shutdown initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to investigate allegations of fraud and abuse. Mr. Ablakwa explained that the reopened mission is now under the management of a new team of experienced diplomats.
“In 24 hours, Ghana’s Embassy in Washington DC has issued over 800 visas after operations resumed on Thursday,” he posted.
“From the briefing I have received, our reopened embassy in Washington DC issued over 800 visas yesterday on the first day of resumption. I expect this level of efficiency, professionalism and integrity to continue.”
He commended the newly assigned personnel for swiftly implementing major reforms.
“This is testament that Ghanaian diplomats excel when provided with the right ecosystem and leadership,” the minister stated.
He added that the changes were part of a broader effort to restore trust and transparency within the embassy system, saying:
“We have an adequate stock of distinguished and astute diplomats to lead ongoing reforms — this patriotic consequential reset agenda aimed at restoring the image of our diplomatic missions abroad cannot be reduced to ‘jobs for the boys.’”
The corruption scandal came to light after Mr. Ablakwa ordered the temporary closure of the embassy on May 26 to allow for a full-scale probe into the misconduct of Mr. Fred Kwarteng, who was recruited on August 11, 2017, as a local IT staff member.
Investigations revealed that Mr. Kwarteng had built an unauthorized online system that rerouted passport and visa applicants to his personal company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC). He allegedly charged applicants between US$29.75 and US$60 per service without approval from either the Foreign Ministry or Parliament — in direct violation of the Fees and Charges Act.
According to Ablakwa,
“The investigations reveal that he and his collaborators operated this illegal scheme for at least 5 years.”
Following these revelations, Mr. Kwarteng was dismissed, and his conduct has been referred to the Attorney-General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, for potential prosecution and recovery of illegally acquired funds. A forensic audit has also been commissioned through the Auditor-General’s office to assess the full financial impact of the scheme.
To support the ongoing probe, all Foreign Ministry staff posted to the Washington mission were recalled, the IT unit was dissolved, and all locally hired staff were suspended.
Despite the reforms, controversy has emerged over the manner in which the mission was temporarily shut down. Deputy Minority Leader in Parliament, Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, announced that the Foreign Affairs Minister would be summoned to explain his unilateral action.
At a May 28 joint media briefing of both Majority and Minority caucuses, Hon. Appiagyei described the minister’s action as diplomatically inappropriate:
“…the Minority Caucus will initiate efforts to invite the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to explain his actions regarding the closure of the Embassy.”
However, the Majority Caucus has expressed full support for the minister’s decision.
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Hon. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, defended the move as necessary to cleanse the embassy’s operations:
“The reasons for which the closure became necessary are known to all of us. The Minister has followed information from the Embassy concerning frontline activities, corrupt practices, and made that decision to close the Embassy to ensure that we reset activities… to the highest professional levels.”
Parliament is expected to receive the full report, along with further updates on financial audits, legal steps, and reform strategies when Mr. Ablakwa appears before the House next week.
