Ghana Cracks Down on Visa Fraud at Washington Embassy | By Obed Andoh | Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced sweeping measures to address a visa fraud scandal uncovered at the country’s embassy in Washington, D.C. The minister revealed in a Facebook post that the decisive actions followed damning findings from a special audit team he commissioned to investigate allegations of corruption within the mission.
With full backing from President John Dramani Mahama, Minister Ablakwa disclosed that Mr. Fred Kwarteng, a locally recruited staff member hired in 2017 to work in the embassy’s IT department, has been dismissed with immediate effect. Investigations found that Kwarteng created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website, redirecting visa and passport applicants to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC). He allegedly charged illegal fees ranging from $29.75 to $60 per applicant over a five-year period, pocketing the proceeds without government authorization.
The case has been referred to Ghana’s Attorney-General for possible prosecution and recovery of the misappropriated funds.
In a broader response, all Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff posted to the Washington embassy have been recalled, the embassy’s IT department has been dissolved, and all locally recruited staff have been suspended. The Auditor-General has also been invited to conduct a forensic audit to determine the full financial impact of the fraud.
The embassy will be temporarily closed for a few days to facilitate a comprehensive restructuring and overhaul of its systems.
Minister Ablakwa acknowledged the inconvenience to applicants but reaffirmed the Mahama administration’s commitment to combating corruption, conflict of interest, and abuse of office.
“President Mahama’s government will continue to demonstrate zero tolerance for corruption,” Ablakwa emphasized, promising further updates soon.
Ghana Cracks Down on Visa Fraud at Washington Embassy | By Obed Andoh | AviationGhana
