Ablakwa Calls for EOCO, Attorney-General Probe into $4.8M Visa Fraud Scandal at Ghana’s US Embassy

By Joylinda Laryea / June 18, 2025

Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called for an urgent investigation by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Office of the Attorney-General into a massive visa fraud scandal involving the country’s embassy in the United States.

Addressing Parliament on June 14, Mr. Ablakwa revealed findings from a damning audit report that exposed an alleged scheme led by Fred Kwarteng, a locally recruited IT staff member at the Washington, D.C. mission.

According to the report, Kwarteng illegally created a redirect link on the embassy’s official website, funneling visa and passport applicants to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC). Through this unauthorized system, he reportedly charged and collected fees totalling $4.8 million annually without the knowledge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The fact-finding team, made up of senior diplomats and ministry officials, concluded that Mr. Fred Kwarteng was running an unlawful enterprise that earned him millions, all hidden from government oversight," Ablakwa stated.

Following the revelations:

• Fred Kwarteng was dismissed.

• The embassy’s entire IT department was dissolved.

• All staff posted to the Washington mission were recalled to Ghana.

• Locally recruited staff were suspended pending further investigations.

Mr. Ablakwa stressed that none of the funds generated from Kwarteng’s illegal operations reached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and described the situation as a “serious breach of national trust.”

He added that President Mahama has instructed the relevant authorities to trace all proceeds, prosecute those involved, and restore integrity to Ghana’s foreign missions.

The scandal has sparked national outrage, raising broader questions about digital security, embassy oversight, and the vulnerability of state institutions to internal fraud.