Deputy Minister for information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says that about 375 diplomatic passports being held by some religious leaders have been withdrawn. The president, he said, ordered that the passports be withdrawn and it has been done. He however said a few recognised men of God have been allowed to keep theirs. He was commenting on leaked US diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks that fingered some pastors and their wives who use the VVIP lounge at the Kotoka International Airport in the illicit trade trade. The leaked cables claimed that drug enforcement officers “Channelled passengers including pastors and bank managers and their wives, into the security-exempt VVIP lounge despite suspicions they were trafficking drugs.” Speaking on the issue on Joy FM’s news analysis programme Newsfile, Mr Ablakwa said when the NDC government came into office in January last year, it was realized that all manner of persons in the name of religious leadership, were holding diplomatic passports that granted them access to the VVIP lounge and also insulated them from security checks. “Now it is been more scrutinized so you have very few recognized pastors [from] recognized churches [holding diplomatic passports],” he said. He maintained religious leaders in the country were so important they needed to be accorded a certain modicum of dignity and respect. Source: Joy News/Ghana