Ghana temporarily closes embassy in Washington D.C. over corruption scandal

Ghana has temporarily shut down its embassy in Washington, D.C., after a major corruption scandal involving visa fraud and unauthorised payments was uncovered by a special audit.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the decision on Monday, describing it as a necessary step to restore integrity and accountability in Ghana’s diplomatic missions abroad.

“This is part of a decisive effort to restructure and overhaul embassy operations following shocking audit findings,” Ablakwa said. “With the support of President Mahama, we are taking bold action to fight corruption and rebuild trust.”

Embassy Staff Recalled After Visa Fraud Uncovered

The audit revealed that Fred Kwarteng, a locally hired IT officer at the embassy since 2017, created an unauthorised link on the embassy's website. This link redirected visa and passport applicants to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), where they were charged unofficial fees ranging from $29.75 to $60.

These payments, which were not approved under Ghana’s fees Act, were deposited directly into Kwarteng’s personal bank account. Investigators believe the fraudulent scheme operated undetected for at least five years.

The case has been referred to Ghana’s Attorney-General for possible prosecution and recovery of misused public funds.

Full Staff Recall and Audit Underway

In response to the scandal, all Foreign Ministry staff posted to the Washington, D.C. embassy have been recalled to Accra. The embassy’s IT department has been dissolved, and all locally recruited staff have been suspended pending further investigations.

Minister Ablakwa also confirmed that the Auditor-General will conduct a full forensic audit to determine the total financial loss to the state.

Public Inconvenience Acknowledged

While acknowledging the disruption the closure may cause for Ghanaians and foreigners needing consular services, Ablakwa insisted that firm action is necessary to clean up the system.

“The government of President Mahama maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption, abuse of office, and conflicts of interest,” he said.

No timeline has been given for the embassy’s reopening, but the Foreign Ministry says services will resume once the restructuring process is complete.