The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has referred Frederick Kwarteng, a former IT Officer at Ghana’s Diplomatic Mission in Washington, DC, U.S.A, to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Attorney General for prosecution.

This follows incriminating findings from a Special Audit Team, which uncovered instances of fraud, conflicts of interest, and illegal visa and passport application processing by a company established by Mr Kwarteng under the name “Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC).

Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, speaking on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, disclosed that Mr Kwarteng’s illegal operations fetched him a whopping $4.8 million annually.

The Minister said the principal suspect allegedly redirected visa and passport applicants to his company, GTC, which engaged in illegal procurement processes and provided courier services to Ghana’s Mission in Washington DC without proper contract agreements.

The discovery of the activities of the principal suspect led to the temporary closure of Ghana’s mission in Washington DC on Monday, May 26, 2025.

The Minister said the EOCO had been formally notified to pursue Mr. Kwarteng, to trace the proceeds of the crime, apprehend his collaborators and to have him brought to Ghana for prosecution.

The minister said it had established an Internal Investigative Committee to probe all locally recruited staff.

“Ghana is cooperating with U.S. authorities to freeze any accounts linked to the criminal enterprise.

“The Auditor-General has been invited to conduct a forensic audit of all transactions to determine the total cost of this scheme,” he said.

The temporary closure of the Embassy in Washington DC, Mr Ablakwa said, was to finalise the restructuring and ensure a systems overhaul at the Embassy.

It was also undertaking a complete overhaul of the IT department and digital platforms, and streamlining of the Client Services Centre to enhance transparency, he said.

The Government, the Minister said, was also undertaking renovation of the Chancery building to uplift its deteriorating image.

“It has introduced a biometric clock-in system to monitor staff attendance. The Mission’s IT infrastructure has been fully reconfigured to enhance security and service delivery,” he added.

All 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, the Minister stated.

Mr Ablakwa said three new phone lines had been added to reduce call congestion, noting that over 2,277 real-time online chats and 543 email inquiries were handled within two weeks.

“To further improve performance, the Mission is also rolling out a mandatory training programme focused on professional client service and work ethics,” he stated.

“Pursuant to my directives, the Internal Investigative 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,” he noted.

He said a comprehensive report, including findings and recommendations, will be submitted upon the conclusion of the inquiry.

“Right Honourable 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.

“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,” the Minister added.

The minister pledged to uphold the highest standards of integrity and service delivery across all the Missions abroad.