Ghana temporarily closes its embassy in Washington D.C. due to a corruption controversy
Following the disclosure of a fraudulent scheme at Ghana's Washington DC embassy in May 2025, investigations and legal actions are actively underway. Ghana's Attorney General has been involved for potential prosecution and recovery of funds obtained through the fraudulent activities.
Key points about the current status include:
- Investigation and Prosecution: Ghana's Attorney General is pursuing possible prosecutions linked to the embassy fraud to hold accountable those responsible and to retrieve misappropriated funds.
- Visa Policy Reforms: The US government enacted stricter visa validity rules for Ghanaian nationals, reducing visa durations to 3 months as part of broader anti-fraud measures that likely respond to issues such as the embassy fraud.
- Enhanced Vetting Measures: Both the US government and Ghanaian authorities are enhancing the vetting and monitoring of visa applicants, especially under the Diversity Visa Program, to prevent criminal exploitation and fraudulent entries.
These developments indicate a coordinated effort by Ghanaian officials and US authorities to address and reform the visa issuance and embassy operations following the fraud. However, specific details of ongoing investigations, identities of perpetrators, or final legal outcomes have not been publicly disclosed as of August 2025.
The embassy has been temporarily closed for restructuring and system overhaul. An unauthorized link on the embassy's website, created by a locally hired IT staffer named Fred Kwarteng, redirected applicants to Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), a private company owned by Mr. Kwarteng. This link was used to charge unapproved fees ranging from $29.75 to $60 per applicant, bypassing government oversight.
In response to the scandal, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has fired Mr. Kwarteng, closed the embassy, and invited the Auditor-General to conduct a forensic audit of embassy transactions. All locally recruited staff have been suspended, and further legal action and structural reforms are expected as authorities dig deeper into the scope of the scandal.
The Ghana Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to re-open its DC embassy on Thursday, 29th May, 2025, with a renewed commitment to transparency and integrity. President Mahama's government will continue to demonstrate zero tolerance for corruption, naked conflict of interest, and blatant abuse of office.
- The ongoing investigations involving Ghana's Attorney General are not limited to politics alone, but also encompass general-news topics such as the embassy fraud and crime-and-justice issues like fraudulent activities and misappropriation of funds.
- The US government's enforcement of stricter visa validity rules and Ghanaian authorities' enhanced vetting measures are clear responses to crime-and-justice issues, given the embassy fraud incident, and also touch upon general-news topics and politics, as they aim to prevent future fraudulent activities and ensure the integrity of embassy operations.
