The Embassy of Ghana in Washington D.C. is scheduled to resume operations on Thursday, May 29, 2025, after a temporary closure initiated on May 26 due to a significant fraud investigation.
Background of the Closure
The closure was prompted by revelations of a fraudulent scheme involving a locally recruited IT officer, Mr. Fred Kwarteng. Investigations uncovered that Mr. Kwarteng had created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website, redirecting visa and passport applicants to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC). Through this scheme, applicants were charged unapproved fees ranging from $29.75 to $60, which were deposited into his personal account. This operation reportedly went undetected for at least five years.
In response to the scandal, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took immediate action:
- All Ministry staff posted to the Washington D.C. embassy were recalled to Accra.
- The entire IT department was dissolved.
- All locally recruited staff were suspended pending further investigation.
Additionally, an Information Technology (IT) team was deployed to reconfigure the embassy’s website and payment platforms, eliminating unauthorized links associated with the fraudulent activities. A team of seasoned diplomats has been tasked to oversee a total systems overhaul and restore integrity in the embassy’s operations.
The matter has been referred to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution and the recovery of misappropriated funds. The Auditor-General has also been tasked with conducting a full forensic audit to determine the total financial loss to the state.
With these measures in place, the embassy is set to reopen and resume full consular services on May 29, 2025. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to Ghanaian nationals and other applicants seeking consular services, emphasizing that the drastic measures were necessary to restore integrity and accountability within Ghana’s diplomatic missions abroad.
