Hon Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
North Tongu
Mr Speaker, I have the honour to present to Parliament a comprehensive update on the recent developments regarding diplomatic Mission of Ghana in Washington, D.C., United States of America (USA).
As Members of this august House may be aware, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took an extraordinary but necessary step on 26th May, 2025 to temporarily close the Mission in Washington, D.C. and recall staff to Accra following reports of grave legal infractions. This decision was made after thorough deliberations and prompted by incriminating findings from a special audit team, which uncovered instances of fraud, conflict of interest, and corruption, particularly involving visa processing and the unauthorised activities of a thirdparty agent operating under the name, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC). With the full support of His Excellency the President, this action marked the unwavering stance of our Government against corruption and our commitment to protect the integrity and the image of our foreign service.
Mr Speaker, the special audit team, which I set up, was made up of senior management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They uncovered a complex web of corruption that compromised the integrity and efficiency of the operations of the Embassy. Among the findings, are the unlawful activities and conflict of interest which involves one Mr Fred Kwarteng, who was formally employed on 11th August, 2017, according to our records at the Ministry, as an Information Technology Officer. Mr Kwarteng continued to work with the Mission with a renewal of annual temporary appointments. It has also emerged that Mr Fred Kwarteng was not qualified to be employed as a local staff as he does not possess the appropriate legal status to be employed in the USA.
Mr Speaker, additionally, the investigations revealed that Mr Kwarteng is the owner and main operator of Ghana Travel Consultants. The company was later mysteriously contracted to provide exclusive courier handling for the Mission, effective 1st January, 2023, by the former Ambassador, Her Excellency Hajia Alima Mahama. The team discovered that this situation started as far back as 2019, therefore, the 2023 contract only sought to ligitimise what was palpably wrong. This dual role as IT contract staff and at the same time service provider where he illegally redirects applicants to his own company, GTC, created a criminally unacceptable situation where personal interest was clearly prioritised over official duties to the detriment of the mission’s objectives and public trust.
Mr Speaker, investigations have revealed that on 19th November 2019, Mr Fred Kwarteng was issued a formal query when the then head of chancellery, H. E. Genevieve Akpalu, who is now the head of mission or the Ambassador at Ghana’s Embassy in Tokyo, Japan — She first discovered this illegal link on the website. It is curious that not much appeared to have happened after that query. As shockingly, Mr Kwarteng became bolder with his unlawful activities, which continued after more than six years.
Mr Speaker, I have here with me a copy of the 2019 query and with your permission, I will read the query dated 19th November 2019, signed by Genevieve Akpalu, Minister Head of Chancellery, and it reads: ‘‘Dear Sir, — Query, it has come to the notice of management of the embassy that in September 2019, you modified the embassy’s website in respect of visa, passport acquisition process without the necessary express approval. Will you explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against you for taking this unilateral important decision? Your response should reach the undersigned, not later than close of work on Wednesday, November 20, 2019’’.
Mr Speaker, it remains a mystery how nothing happened after this query on 19th November, 2019. Mr Speaker, the mission’s engagement of GTC was characterised by an irregular procurement process and a blatant disregard for the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) as amended by Act 914. Furthermore, the contract between the mission and GTC was signed without a prior review and approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, raising questions about the legitimacy and transparency of the procurement process. The execution of this agreement was done without recourse to the head of chancellery, who is a principal accounting officer at each mission and whose duty it is to exercise proper control over the collection and disbursement of public funds and to ensure that proper system of accounts is kept per the Financial Administration Regulations 2004 (L.I 1802).
Mr Speaker, this lack of adherence to established protocols undermines the principles of accountability and good governance that we strive to uphold in our diplomatic missions. Nonetheless, the head of consular section, who has oversight responsibilities for all consular activities, including visa and passport processing, and the head of chancellery, cannot reasonably claim to have been unaware of the prevailing circumstances. Thus, their failure to perform in a proper manner, the duties imposed on them, contravened regulations, undermined efficient conduct, and brought the image and the good name of the Republic of Ghana into disrepute. According to their own account, GTC had been depositing unspecified amounts into an unauthorised welfare account being operated by the mission, and these payments were not subject to audit until the payments were discontinued.
This fact was known to the staff of the mission, and the said funds were used for unofficial activities by the mission on the blind side of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The team discovered that GTC’s website was directly linked to the mission’s website for courier services, providing no alternative options to applicants. This unauthorised and illegal arrangement not only limited the choice of applicants, but also compelled the applicants to opt for the courier service provided by Mr Fred Kwarteng.
Mr Speaker, it is noteworthy that Fred Kwarteng’s company operates from offices located about a 40-minute drive from the Embassy, raising concerns regarding the nature of this arrangement and the extent of oversight exercised by the Embassy. While the company operates a dedicated driver service that picks up and drops off passports between GTC and the Mission, applicants have the option to drop off and collect their documents in person at GTC. It remains a mystery how GTC was allowed to become an annex of our Embassy in Washington, DC.
Mr Speaker, in 2020, the Ministry entered an agreement with EMH Global, which was renewed in 2024, to standardise the websites of selected missions, including the Washington mission. However, these attempts were rebuffed by the Washington mission to avoid accountability and transparency. Even though Ghana paid for this contract to standardise all websites, only the Washington DC website was not standardised and reconfigured. Everything was done by staff of the mission to prevent EMH Global to carry out their legitimate contract which they had earned by the previous government.
Mr Speaker, to date, that synchronisation has not been done. Had it been done, the link used to redirect applicants to GTC’s website for their illicit business would have been curtailed. It cannot, therefore, be justifiably claimed that this action was executed at the mission by a lone wolf at the lower echelons of the Mission’s hierarchy.
Mr Speaker, you will agree with me that all service-related revenue must be managed in accordance with the Public Financial Management Act 2016 (Act 921) and established ministry protocols under the Fees and Charges Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 (Act 1080) which was passed by this esteemed House. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mission adopted a full online mailing system for visa and passport dispatch. Again, this was managed by Mr Fred Kwarteng. Under this arrangement, applicants were offered delivery options via FedEx and USPS, for which they were charged a whopping US$29.75 each. Additionally, Mr Kwarteng’s company, GTC, also introduced a new service where he invited applicants to come for assistance in completing visa and passport forms, where he charged them between US$60 and US$100 per applicant.
Mr Speaker, it will interest you to know that 99 per cent of all applicants utilised the services of GTC, meaning 99 per cent of all applicants paid an extra, unauthorised, illegal figure not approved by this House under our Fees and Charges law, between US$29 and US$100. Mr Speaker, investigations conducted by the top management of our ministry revealed that GTC dispatched between 150 to 350 visas and passports daily. Therefore, on average, about 250 visas and passports were dispatched daily by GTC.
Mr Speaker, this implies that yearly, GTC dispatched approximately 62,500 visas and passports. Mr Fred Kwarteng was therefore raking an estimated US$1,859,375 annually for courier services alone. 4.19 p.m. Mr Speaker, you can comprehend the substantial sum he earns annually after adding fees for assisting applicants in completing their visa and passport forms, for which he charges between US$60 and US$100. By conservative analysis, Mr Fred Kwarteng made about US$4.8 million annually from his unlawful enterprise. It is important to emphasise that there was no revenue-sharing arrangement with the Ministry. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had no share. This US$4.8 million was controlled totally by Mr Fred Kwarteng.
Mr Speaker, given that these are funds that were derived from unauthorised operations, it has become imperative to invite the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Attorney-General to investigate, trace the proceeds, and prosecute Mr Fred Kwarteng and his collaborators, as instructed by President Mahama. This we have promptly done. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the mission adopted a fully online mailing system for visa and passport dispatch, managed by Fred Kwarteng. Under this arrangement, applicants were offered delivery options via FedEx and USPS, for which they were charged a whopping US$29.75. Additionally, GTC also aids applicants in completing visa and passport forms for a fee between US$60 and US$100 per applicant.
Mr Speaker, it will interest you to know that 99 per cent of all applicants utilised the services of GTC, meaning 99 per cent of all applicants paid the extra US$29.75, which was not approved by this House. Investigations revealed that GTC dispatched between 150 to 350 visas and passports daily. Therefore, on average, about 250 visas and passports were dispatched daily by GTC. Mr Speaker, this implies that yearly, GTC dispatched approximately 62,500 visas and passports. Mr Fred Kwarteng has therefore been raking in an estimated US$1,859,375 annually for courier services alone.
Therefore, Mr Speaker, you can comprehend— Therefore, we can comprehend that a substantial sum he earns annually after adding fees for assisting applicants in completing their visa and passport forms, which as I have emphasised was an illegal enterprise, not approved under our Fees and Charges Act. By analysis made by the audit team, the fact-finding team, which is a team, as I have said earlier, made up of distinguished senior diplomats, management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Fred Kwarteng was making US$4.8 million annually from his unlawful enterprise. It is important to emphasise that there was no share of this amount to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Given that these are funds that were derived from unauthorised operations, it has become imperative to invite the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), and the Attorney-General to investigate, trace the proceeds and prosecute Mr Fred Kwarteng and his collaborators, as instructed by the President.
Mr Speaker, I am glad to inform the House that this, the Ministry has promptly done. The investigation also revealed that the Auditor-General's Office had raised concerns about the Embassy's operations and financial management some two years ago. Specifically, the audit findings highlighted issues with procurement practises and financial accountability, which seem to have been ignored or inadequately addressed. Mr Speaker, the investigations revealed that Mr Fred Kwarteng’s company, GTC, was initially jointly owned with his ex-wife, which raises additional questions about the nature of their business relationship and potential conflict of interest. Admissions from Mr Fred Kwarteng himself, when he met the audit finding team, as well as current and former staff of the Embassy, confirm that he did not act alone in this matter.
It appears that there may have been a network of individuals involved in this web of corruption, which underscores the need for thorough investigation and accountability. We must contemplate the motivation behind the creation of a system that benefits a few individuals at the bottom of the food chain at our Diplomatic Mission.
Mr Speaker, in light of these findings, and in accordance with the reset agenda, my Ministry took the following decisive actions with the full blessing of President John Mahama: The immediate dismissal of Mr Fred Kwarteng. The recall of all staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted to the Washington Mission. The swift dissolution of the Embassy's IT department. The suspension of all the Embassy's locally recruited staff. The Auditor-General was promptly invited to conduct a forensic audit of all transactions. The temporary closure of the Embassy to finalise the restructuring and systems overhaul at the Embassy. We also issued a press release informing the public of the impending reopening of the Embassy three days after, that is on 29th May, 2025.
Mr Speaker, following the closure, I appointed the respected and distinguished Ambassador Mrs Jane Gasu Aheto, who was the Head of Legal Department until this recent appointment, as the Acting Head of Mission, and tasked her to lead a team of senior foreign service officers and personnel from the Research Department to Washington D.C. Their mission is as follows; restore integrity to the operations of the Embassy, overhaul the Mission's IT systems, implement internal controls, address administrative gaps, and ensure a smooth and credible reopening of our diplomatic presence. The team arrived in Washington between 31st May and 1st June, 2025. By that time, the Ministry's IT unit, in collaboration with interim staff from our New York Mission, had already laid the groundwork for the official reopening of the Mission on 29th May, 2025.
Key Findings and Challenges
Mr Speaker, upon arrival, the team led by the Ambassador encountered a backlog of over 2,300 visa applications, and I am sure that Hon Members have seen a number of videos about frustrations being expressed by visa applicants at the Washington Embassy. Mr Speaker, there was also no structured filing or tracking system in place, compounding the issue. An average of 350 new applications were being submitted daily. The situation was highly disorganised and required urgent intervention.
Mr Speaker, I arrived at the Mission on 1st June, 2025, to personally assess the situation on the ground. During my visit, I held meetings with both local and home-based staff, where I clearly conveyed the Government's position on the matter. I underscored that Mr Fred Kwarteng, the principal suspect in this case, along with any accomplices, will be held fully accountable under the law. This includes cooperating with US authorities to freeze their accounts linked to this criminal enterprise.
Mr Speaker, I issued a series of directives which are currently being enforced. This includes the establishment of an internal investigative committee to probe all locally recruited staff. EOCO has been formally notified to pursue Mr Fred Kwarteng, to trace the process of crime, and to have him brought to Ghana for prosecution. It also includes; a complete overhaul of the IT department and digital platforms; the streamlining of the Client Services Centre to enhance transparency; the implementation of a secure and trackable mailing system; the renovation of the Chancery Building to uplift its deteriorating image; and an introduction of a biometric clocking-in system to monitor staff attendance.
Mr Speaker, I am pleased to report that significant progress has been made between 27th May and 13th June, 2025. A total of 4,472 visas were processed and issued. 3,588 passports were dispatched. A further 3,729 visa applications were received. And all visa backlog cases from April and May 2025, have now been fully processed. To manage the high volume of applications, the Mission's working hours have been extended from 8am to 8pm, with some officers working beyond 10 p.m. Mr Speaker, I must commend the dedication and commitment of our Diplomats in rising to this challenge.
Mr Speaker, the IT infrastructure of the Mission has been fully reconfigured to enhance security and service delivery. All the unauthorised access points have been removed, a live chat system has been introduced, and official email accounts have been updated to promote professionalism and responsiveness. In addition, three new phone lines have been added to reduce call congestion. Within a two-week period, 2,277 realtime online chats and 543 email enquiries were handled. To further improve performance, the mission is also rolling out a mandatory training programme focused on professional client service and work ethics. Pursuant to these directives, the internal investigating committee has to date interviewed 25 locally recruited staff. A few individuals have since tendered their resignations. The remaining staff are scheduled to be interviewed within the week. A comprehensive report, including findings and recommendations, will be submitted upon the conclusion of the inquiry.
Mr Speaker, while the visa and passport issuance process has significantly improved, the primary challenge remains mailing delays largely due to logistical failures by the United States Postal Service, approximately 490 duly issued visa packages mailed on 6th and 9th June, 2025 were not properly scanned, leading to concerns among applicants. In response, we have directly engaged USPS to mitigate future disruptions. Measures implemented include staggering mail dispatches to a maximum of 200 packages per day to enhance tracking and delivery efficiency.
Mr Speaker, may I stress that contrary to propaganda out there, no new recruitment has been carried out at our Washington, D.C. Mission. All the replacements are distinguished senior Foreign Service officers of many years of impeccable experience and integrity. Our decisive reset intervention, by not looking on as happened in the past, has sent a very clear message that the Mahama Administration will not be complicit in dubious schemes that border on corruption, conflict of interest, abuse of office, and cruel exploitation of clients of our Missions abroad—Government’s actions have projected a great and positive image of our beloved country.
In concluding, Mr Speaker, despite the serious nature of the infractions that led to the temporary closure of the Mission, I am pleased to report that the Washington, D.C. Mission has been fully reopened; operations are stabilising, and confidence in Ghana’s diplomatic representation in the United States is being steadily restored.
Mr Speaker, as Minister, I remain resolutely committed to advancing the necessary institutional reforms, ensuring that justice is served in cases of corruption, conflict of interest, and abuse of office, upholding the highest standards of integrity and service delivery across all our Missions abroad. Mr Speaker, I will continue to keep this House informed as both the investigations and reform processes progress.
I thank you very much for the opportunity.
Hon Samuel Abdulai Jinapor
Damongo
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker, let me begin by thanking the Hon Minister for this very elaborate Statement given to the House and also to thank him and welcome his decision to share the report of the ministerial investigative committee to the House because, Mr Speaker, at the Committee level, we had requested for this report, and we are yet to have a look at the report.
Mr Speaker, let me very quickly make the point that we, from the Minority Side, are not against or opposed to any effort to establish accountability; we do not have any difficulty whatsoever and, indeed, Mr Speaker, we encourage the Minister to ensure that wherever there is rot or corruption, he should investigate, root it out, and bring the perpetrators to book.
Mr Speaker, a certain Mr Kwarteng is alleged to have been involved in a corrupt act, and that cannot be the burden of this Side of the House. I make this point because, in Government Machinery, even today, in this Government, we may have public and civil servant and officials, as part of the Government Machinery, conducting themselves in a manner which is inappropriate, and for those people, there should be investigations and if they are found out, they should be brought to book. So, we want to assure the Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the Minority Caucus of the Committee on Foreign Affairs fully supports his effort.
In any event, Mr Speaker, Mr Fred Kwarteng was recruited into the Washington Mission as far back as 2013, during the time of President Mahama. Mr Speaker, the contract for which the Minister is very unhappy about — The first time Mr Kwarteng was given a similar contract on a temporary basis was in the year 2015. I can furnish the Minister with evidence to support the assertions I am making. Mr Speaker, what is the basis of this alleged corruption? I use the word “alleged” with great emphasis. The basis of it, to simplify it, is that the Mission in Washington is supposed to have gone into a certain arrangement with the company of Mr Kwarteng, because according to the Mission, there was some bureaucratic inertia in terms of transmitting visas and passport booklets to applicants.
Mr Speaker, the Minister himself is attempting an effort like that here in Ghana, where he is employing courier services for the transmission of passports to applicants. That is the basis for this alleged corruption, simpliciter. As we speak today, there is an Indian company called Premium which renders the same services the company of Mr Kwarteng is supposed to have been rendering to the Washington Mission, which has become the basis for this allegation of corruption. That company still renders the same service today.
So, Mr Speaker, what is the point? The point I seek to make is that the foundation or basis on which the company of Mr Kwarteng was contracted in and by itself is not wrong. There is an Indian company that renders the same service today. The company of Mr Kwarteng was given a contract to render that same service on a temporary basis in 2015, and the Hon Minister, Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa, is making strenuous efforts in a welcomed manner, commendably, to render the same service to Ghanaians here in Ghana.
Mr Speaker, thirdly, the quantum of money or the funds that are supposed to have been accrued to the company of Mr Kwarteng, assuming without admitting, let me also put on record, are not public funds. Those are funds which were supposed to have been paid to the company of Mr Kwarteng on the basis of this Washington Mission’s contract with him; so, let us be clear. The US$1.8 million and US$4 million the Minister alluded to are not funds out of public exchequer. These are amounts that the Minister has put together and has estimated.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, there is a final point I need to make. So, the difficulty the Minority have had is the question on whether the allegation for which reason the Minister sets up the Committee of Enquiry, warranted the closure of the Washington Mission. Mr Speaker, let me refer you to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961—
Mr Speaker, it is important. As the Majority Leader rightly said, this is a matter which has generated a lot of domestic and international interest, and I am the Ranking Member to that Committee. With the greatest respect, Mr Speaker, may I refer you to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961. The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 sets out copiously the steps that a country ought to take or adhere to in closing down a mission. The first step is that government decision must be at the highest level. There must be a notification to the host country and a coordination with the host country before the announcement and the reassignment of foreign service officers.
Mr Speaker, these steps have to be adhered to. And the point we made here, and if I may conclude on that — Mr Speaker, — is that the procedure which was adopted to close down the Washington Mission was one which is alien to public international law and is not consistent with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961. In 48 hours, the Minister opened the Mission, and that tells us that the decision was a rushed one. We welcome the probe and we do not have a difficulty with the probe, but we will always insist that we adhere to procedural propriety in terms of how we manage our foreign relations, foreign policy and the Missions of our country. That is the position of this Minority.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon Ayariga Mahama
Bawku Central
Thank you very much. Mr Speaker, I think this House should thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for coming to fully disclose to us exactly what happened in our Washington Mission.
Mr Speaker, I think that clearly, the investigations reveal a number of infractions. First and foremost, this is the only House that can decide on the fees and charges that any institution can levy on any person for a service rendered by the Republic of Ghana. This is the only House. And to the extent that this House did not approve of any charge for a service in the acquisition of a visa to enter Ghana, that is a clear infraction of the laws of Ghana. No matter how valuable the service, no matter how good intention it may have been, clearly there has been a violation of the laws of Ghana. And if for nothing, this House should be interested in that. How did it happen that civil servants on their own, without Parliamentary approval, sat down and created a business where services were rendered for the acquisition of Ghanaian visas and payments? No matter what it is, there is a clear infraction of the law that this House should be interested in.
Secondly, Mr Speaker, we may dispute when Mr Kwarteng assumed office at the Embassy. But there is no dispute that he was the IT officer when he assumed office. Whichever date, but he assumed office as the IT officer of the Embassy. I am just giving you the benefit of doubt that as the IT officer, that he and, it is said, a spouse, own a company that was providing IT services to the same organisation. Mr Speaker, even if there is a similar contract in the UK for the acquisition of Ghanaian visas by an Indian company, let us not lose sight of the fact that for our IT officer at the Washington office to now set up a private company to render IT services, and the fees goes to him, no matter how good intentioned, that is a clear case of conflict of interest. Another clear instance of infraction of our laws.
Mr Speaker, I think this House is the defender of the interests of the ordinary people who approach government for services. And I must commend the Minister for the effort that he took or made to stop this. Mr Speaker, the day that the Statement was made here, in this House, on my way home, a friend called me and told me that the figure we are even quoting is below what they were actually paying. He is ready to testify. What he told me was that it was deliberately made in such a way that you could not on your own apply online for a visa. Deliberately.
So even though you could apply online, it became impossible for anyone to apply online so that you would go and then seek the services of the company. This is where conflict of interest comes in. So, if the person in charge of our IT system at our Mission has a business of providing that service, why would it not be easy to make it impossible for people who can ordinarily apply online to apply so that they will seek the services of his company? That is what conflict of interest is all about.
So Mr Speaker, such a matter cannot come before this House and we will attempt to belittle it. We cannot attempt to belittle it. This is a very serious matter happening not here in Ghana but in Washington. Our institutions had degenerated to a point where we were exporting such practices to abroad. We had done it in Ghana, SML, whatever it was, so many concocted arrangements that today we have unending investigations. National Service Secretariat, everywhere you turn and we were not satisfied doing it domestically. We now decided that it is a commodity worth exporting to foreign countries and we were exporting to foreign countries Mr Speaker, I think that Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) must investigate the matter. We expect the Report of EOCO’s investigation expedited and presented to this House by the Minister. This House is going to insist on swift and certain punishment for such violations of the flag and coat of arms of Ghana abroad in the United States.
Mr Speaker, I heard somebody talk about hardship. Can he calculate the hardship of all those who had to go through this grueling treatment and had to cough out their money and you are talking about hardship. Whose hardship are we talking about here?
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.
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