Washington, D.C. | May 26, 2025 — Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced the temporary closure of the country’s embassy in Washington, D.C., following explosive revelations of systemic corruption and abuse of office uncovered by a special audit team.
In a statement issued Monday, Mr. Ablakwa described the move as “regrettable but necessary”, stressing it is part of a larger restructuring and systems overhaul aimed at restoring integrity to Ghana’s diplomatic institutions abroad.
“This is part of the drastic and decisive actions I have taken with the firm support of President Mahama, following the damning findings of a special audit team I put together a couple of months ago,” Ablakwa stated.
Central Figure: Fred Kwarteng and the Fraudulent Link
At the core of the scandal is Fred Kwarteng, a locally hired IT staffer who joined the embassy in August 2017. Kwarteng confessed to setting up a clandestine link on the embassy’s official website that rerouted visa and passport applicants to his private firm, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC).
Applicants were charged unauthorised fees ranging from US$29.75 to US$60, none of which were approved under the Fees and Charges Act or remitted to the government. Instead, these illicit payments were traced directly to Kwarteng’s personal account.
Preliminary investigations suggest the fraudulent scheme had gone undetected for at least five years, raising serious questions about internal oversight.
Staff Recalled, Embassy Under Full Audit
As part of immediate corrective measures:
- All Foreign Ministry staff posted to the embassy have been recalled to Accra.
- The embassy’s IT department has been dissolved.
- All locally recruited staff have been suspended pending further investigations.
- The Attorney-General has been tasked with initiating criminal prosecution and pursuing recovery of misappropriated funds.
- The Auditor-General has commenced a forensic audit to determine the full financial loss to the state.
Ablakwa Reaffirms Government’s Anti-Corruption Agenda
While acknowledging the inconvenience the closure poses to Ghanaians and foreign nationals seeking consular services, Ablakwa emphasised the need for firm action in the face of entrenched corruption.
“President Mahama’s government will continue to demonstrate zero tolerance for corruption, naked conflict of interest, and blatant abuse of office,” he declared.
The closure of one of Ghana’s key embassies marks a bold and unprecedented step in the fight against diplomatic corruption, setting a stern example for missions worldwide.
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