The Ghanaian government has temporarily closed its embassy in Washington, D.C. following revelations of widespread corruption and abuse of office.
The announcement was made on May 26, 2025, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who cited the findings of a special audit team that uncovered a long-running fraudulent scheme at the embassy.
According to the Minister, an IT staff member, Fred Kwarteng, allegedly created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website, redirecting visa and passport applicants to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), where they were charged unapproved fees.
The scheme is believed to have operated undetected for at least five years, with funds paid directly into Kwarteng’s personal account.
The matter has been referred to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution and recovery of misappropriated state funds.
In response to the scandal, all Foreign Ministry staff posted to the Washington, D.C. mission have been recalled to Accra. The embassy’s IT department has been dissolved, and all locally recruited staff have been suspended pending further investigation.
The Auditor-General is expected to conduct a forensic audit to determine the total financial loss to the state.
Meanwhile, President John Mahama’s administration has reiterated its zero-tolerance policy for corruption and abuse of office.
The temporary closure of the embassy is being viewed as a necessary step to restore integrity and public trust in Ghana’s diplomatic operations abroad.
