Ghana has temporarily closed its embassy in Washington, D.C., following revelations of a major visa fraud scandal.
In a statement on Monday, Ablakwa revealed that the closure will remain in effect for “a few days” to allow for a full restructuring and systems overhaul.
At the heart of the scandal is a locally hired embassy employee, who, along with unnamed collaborators, is accused of running a fraudulent operation. The scheme allegedly involved the creation of an unauthorised link on the embassy’s website, redirecting visa and passport applicants to a private firm. There, applicants were charged unofficial fees ranging from $30 to $60.
The foreign ministry was not aware of this arrangement, and Ablakwa said the employee kept all the proceeds in a private account. Investigators believe the scheme had been running for five years.
“This conduct has been reported to the attorney-general for possible prosecution and recovery of the stolen funds,” Ablakwa stated.
As part of the fallout all foreign ministry staff in Washington have been recalled, all locally recruited embassy staff have been suspended
Ablakwa reaffirmed the administration’s stance, saying “President [John] Mahama’s government will continue to demonstrate zero tolerance for corruption, naked conflict of interest, and blatant abuse of office.”
