Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., will officially reopen on Thursday, May 29, 2025, following a temporary shutdown sparked by a high-profile corruption scandal.
The closure, ordered on May 26 by Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, came in response to serious allegations of misconduct and abuse of office at the Mission.
At the center of the controversy is Fred Kwarteng, an IT staffer hired in 2017, who confessed to redirecting visa and passport applicants through a covert link on the Embassy’s website to his private firm, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC).
Applicants were charged unapproved fees between $29.75 and $60, which were funneled into his personal account—an operation that may have run unnoticed for up to five years.
To restore trust and overhaul the Mission’s systems, the Ministry has deployed a new team of diplomats led by a senior official. An IT task force is also actively reconfiguring the Embassy’s website, scrubbing all unauthorized links and revamping payment systems.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that measures are in place to clear the service backlog and apologized for any inconvenience caused by the temporary closure. The matter has been forwarded to the Auditor-General and Attorney-General for thorough investigation and potential legal action.
For inquiries, the public may contact:
-
📧 washington@mfa.gov.gh | 📞 +1 202 686 4520
-
📧 ipab@mfa.gov.gh | 📞 +233 240 793 072
In reaffirming its commitment to integrity and service excellence, the Ministry pledged ongoing reforms to ensure transparency, accountability, and the protection of Ghana’s diplomatic reputation abroad.
