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Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced the temporary closure of the country’s embassy in Washington, D.C., in response to revelations of serious corruption and misconduct within the mission.
The decision, made public on Monday, May 26, 2025, follows findings from a special audit team which uncovered a longstanding fraudulent operation.
According to Mr Ablakwa, the closure will allow for a comprehensive restructuring and overhaul of the embassy’s systems and operations.
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He described the measure as unfortunate but essential in the quest to restore transparency and trust in Ghana’s foreign service.
This is part of the drastic and decisive actions I have taken with the firm support of President Mahama, following the damning findings of a special audit team I put together a couple of months ago to investigate alleged corrupt practices at Ghana’s embassy in Washington D.C.
The fraud is alleged to have been orchestrated by Fred Kwarteng, a locally recruited IT staff member who joined the embassy in August 2017.
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Kwarteng reportedly created an unauthorised link on the embassy’s official website, redirecting applicants for passports and visas to his private entity, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), where unapproved service charges between US$29.75 and US$60 were collected.
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These charges, which bypassed official channels and were not approved under Ghana’s Fees and Charges Act, were paid directly into Kwarteng’s personal bank account.
Preliminary investigations suggest the illegal scheme went undetected for at least five years.
The matter has since been referred to the Attorney-General for potential prosecution and efforts to recover the misappropriated funds.
In a series of further actions, Mr Ablakwa confirmed that all Ministry of Foreign Affairs personnel assigned to the Washington mission have been recalled to Accra.
The embassy’s IT department has been dissolved, and all locally recruited employees suspended while further investigations are conducted.
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A full forensic audit has been commissioned by the auditor general to ascertain the total financial damage caused to the state.
Mr Ablakwa acknowledged that the closure would inconvenience Ghanaians and foreign nationals needing consular services but maintained that decisive measures are crucial to root out corruption.
President Mahama’s government will continue to demonstrate zero tolerance for corruption, naked conflict of interest, and blatant abuse of office.
The temporary closure signals a firm stance against corruption as Ghana moves to restore integrity at its diplomatic missions.