Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced the temporary closure of the country’s embassy in Washington, DC. The stoppage follows shocking revelations of a long-running visa fraud scheme. According to the BBC, the decision follows a comprehensive audit that uncovered damning evidence of corruption within the diplomatic mission. Locally recruited staff allegedly created an unauthorized payment system that diverted visa and passport applicants to a private firm.
This sophisticated scheme operated undetected for years. It charged applicants extra fees ranging from $30 to $60 without the knowledge or approval of the foreign ministry. The embassy staff member at the center of the allegations reportedly kept all proceeds in a personal account. The individual systematically exploited visa seekers who trusted the official embassy channels for their applications. President John Mahama’s administration has recalled all diplomatic staff and suspended locally recruited employees while the investigation continues.
How The Ghana Visa Scheme Operated
The fraud involved creating an unauthorized link on the embassy’s official website that redirected visa and passport applicants to a private company. Through this deceptive redirection, applicants were charged additional fees for services, unaware that the Ghanaian government did not officially sanction these charges. The foreign minister confirmed that this fraudulent operation had been running continuously for five years.
Minister Ablakwa emphasized that the embassy closure will last only “a few days” while authorities implement a complete restructuring and systems overhaul to prevent similar abuses in the future. The case details have already been forwarded to Ghana’s Attorney General for potential prosecution and efforts to recover the funds obtained fraudulently.
The sudden closure creates challenges for Ghanaians in the United States and Americans seeking consular services. All visa processing activities have temporarily halted while the ministry implements new secure procedures. Applicants with pending visa requests will likely face delays until the embassy reopens with restructured systems and potentially new staff.
