Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has taken swift and decisive action following a special audit team’s damning findings of alleged corrupt practices at Ghana’s embassy in Washington DC. With the firm support of President Mahama, Ablakwa has dismissed Mr. Fred Kwarteng, a local staff member who created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website, diverting visa and passport applicants to his company and charging extra fees.
The minister has also recalled all Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff posted to the Washington embassy, dissolved the embassy’s IT department, and suspended all locally recruited staff. The Auditor-General has been invited to conduct a forensic examination of all transactions to determine the total cost of the fraudulent scheme, which is believed to have operated for at least 5 years.
The embassy will be closed for a few days to facilitate restructuring and systems overhaul. Ablakwa apologized for any inconvenience this may cause visa and passport applicants, reiterating President Mahama’s government’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption, conflict of interest, and abuse of office. The case has been reported to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution and retrieval of funds obtained through fraudulent means.
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