Ghana’s Embassy in Washington D.C., United States of America, is set to reopen on Thursday, May 29, 2025, following a temporary closure triggered by a major corruption scandal.
The announcement follows a directive by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on Monday, May 26, ordering the temporary closure of Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., in response to allegations of widespread corruption and abuse of office at the Mission.
Fred Kwarteng, a locally recruited IT staff member hired in August 2017, has been identified as the key figure in the scandal. He admitted to creating an unauthorized link on the Embassy’s website.
The link redirected visa and passport applicants to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), where they were charged unapproved fees ranging from $29.75 to $60.
These payments, which were not authorised by the Ministry or approved by Parliament under the Fees Act, were funneled directly into Kwarteng’s account. Investigations indicate the scheme may have gone undetected for at least five years.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, a new team of diplomats, led by a senior official from the Ministry, has been assigned to take over operations at the Mission.
The move, according to the statement, is aimed at executing a complete system overhaul, restoring integrity in the Embassy’s operations, and finalising ongoing structural reforms.
As part of the reform process, an Information Technology (IT) team has already been deployed to reconfigure the Embassy’s website and payment platforms. This includes the removal of all unofficial and unauthorized links previously associated with the Embassy’s digital infrastructure.
The Ministry assured the public that measures have been put in place to address the backlog of services and apologized for any inconvenience caused by the closure.
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The Ministry also noted that the circumstances leading to the closure have been reported to the Auditor-General and the Attorney-General for further investigation and appropriate sanctions.
Reaffirming its commitment, the Ministry pledged to enhance service delivery, uphold transparency and accountability, and safeguard Ghana’s reputation on the international stage.
Ghana shuts down Embassy in Washington D.C. over corruption scandal