Ghana’s embassy in Washington, D.C. is set to reopen on Thursday, May 29, following a brief closure prompted by a corruption investigation that revealed significant misconduct within the mission.
The closure, which began on May 26, was ordered by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa after an internal probe uncovered serious financial irregularities and abuse of office.
Central to the investigation is Fred Kwarteng, a locally hired IT staff member who had worked at the embassy since 2017. Kwarteng admitted to diverting visa and passport applicants from the official embassy website to a privately run platform owned by his company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC). Applicants were charged fees ranging from $29.75 to $60—unauthorized by the government and deposited into his personal account.
Preliminary investigations suggest the scheme may have gone unnoticed for over five years. In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dispatched an IT team to eliminate unauthorized digital infrastructure and restore control over the embassy’s online systems.
A new leadership team, headed by a senior diplomat, has been appointed to oversee operations and implement reforms aimed at enhancing transparency and service delivery.
On May 27, the Ministry confirmed that the case has been referred to the Auditor-General and Attorney-General for further investigation and possible prosecution.
To mitigate delays caused by the closure, additional resources are being allocated to process pending consular services. The Ministry has issued an apology for the disruption and urged affected individuals to use the provided contact channels for support.
Source; mynewsgh
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