Ablakwa to Address Parliament on The Whole Issue This Week
The Ghana Embassy in Washington, DC, has temporarily closed, following an audit that uncovered a fraudulent scheme involving visa and passport fees. The investigation, initiated by Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, revealed that Fred Kwarteng, a local IT staff member hired in 2017, allegedly created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website. This link redirected applicants to his company, Ghana Travel Consultants, where he charged additional fees ranging from $29.75 to $60 per applicant, which were not approved by the Ministry or Parliament.
The audit findings indicate that Kwarteng’s scheme operated undetected for at least five years, with all proceeds deposited into his account. As a result, Kwarteng has been sacked from his position at the embassy, and the case has been referred to the Attorney-General for potential prosecution and recovery of the misappropriated funds. The closure affects all locally recruited staff, who have been suspended, and foreign ministry staff, who have been recalled to Ghana.
Kwarteng has denied the allegations of financial misconduct, asserting that his technological initiatives were transparent and approved by the embassy and Foreign Affairs officials. He claims his actions were intended to benefit the Ghanaian public. Despite his defense, the Ministry maintains that the extra charges violated the Fees and Charges Act, and the unauthorized nature of the scheme constitutes a serious breach of protocol.
Foreign Minister Ablakwa is scheduled to address Parliament next week to provide further details on the scandal and outline measures to prevent future occurrences. The temporary closure aims to facilitate a thorough investigation and restructuring of the embassy’s operations. The government has expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to visa and passport applicants, but emphasized the necessity of addressing corruption decisively.