Ghanaians woke up to news that Foreign Affairs minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has shut down Ghana’s embassy in Washington DC in the USA following allegations of corrupt practices within the institution.

According to Ablakwa, a special audit report, commissioned under his directive, uncovered that a local staff member and accomplices within the embassy had been illegally collecting unapproved fees through an unauthorised link embedded in the embassy's official website.

As a result, the embassy has been closed, and the implicated staff members have been dismissed.

Following the post by Ablakwa on X on May 26, 2025, Ghanaians have reacted to the development.

Some believe corruption is widespread across embassies and that a broader cleanup is crucial.

Others have condemned the actions uncovered by the audit, describing them as “pure evil”, while applauding Ablakwa for his decisive action.

“Pure evil. God bless you, Hon Ablakwa,” a social media user wrote.

“And they wanted us to vote for them again? These acts cannot be justified with the introduction of free SHS. I think vigorous efforts in disseminating some of this information must be made. Comprehensive public awareness must be created for many to understand the reset agenda,” another social media user wrote.

An X user also called for the dismissal of those at the center of the corruption saying “Arrest Mr Fred not dismissal. Think about those who doesn’t know fraudulent activity going on. But you are calling them I learnt you said 2016,2017. I believe Some of them wasn’t working over there at that time. You must protect them or people will point them as part of scandal.”

What Ablakwa shared on X

With the firm support of President Mahama, I have carried out the following drastic and decisive actions following the damning findings of a special audit team I put together a couple of months ago to investigate alleged corrupt practices at Ghana’s embassy in Washington DC:

1) The immediate dismissal of Mr Fred Kwarteng

Mr Kwarteng was a local staff recruited on August 11, 2017 to work in the embassy’s IT department. According to findings and his own admission, he created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website which diverted visa and passport applicants to his company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC) where he charged extra for multiple services on the blind side of the ministry and kept the entire proceeds in his private account.

His illegal extra charges which were not approved by the ministry and parliament as required under the Fees and Charges Act ranges from US$29.75 to US$60 per applicant. The Investigations reveal that he and his collaborators operated this illegal scheme for at least 5 years.

This conduct has been reported to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution and retrieval of funds obtained through fraudulent schemes.

2) All Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff posted to the Washington embassy have been recalled home with immediate effect.

3) The embassy’s IT department has been promptly dissolved.

4) All locally recruited staff at the embassy have been suspended.

5) The Auditor-General has been invited to conduct forensic examination of all transactions and to determine the total cost of this elaborate fraudulent scheme.

6) Ghana’s embassy in Washington DC shall be closed for a few days from today as we finalize the ongoing restructuring and systems overhaul.

Any inconvenience these radical measures may cause visa and passport applicants is regretted.

President Mahama’s government will continue to demonstrate zero tolerance for corruption, naked conflict of interest and blatant abuse of office.

More updates soon.

Read some posts from Ghanaians below:

Pure evil
God bless you, Hon. Ablakwa

— Samare💡 (@Perony14) May 26, 2025

My goodness! If we can get like three of you who are really willing to make Ghana work, all loots could be recovered.
I hope only those found culpable are sacked because the genuine must should stay. That’s their livelihood

— Andrew Dodzi (@AndrewDodzii) May 26, 2025

Question. Is it the case that the previous NPP government didn't know about this, or they aided it 🤔?

Everything about the previous NPP government is corruption 😒. Eeii!

— NKOJ (@nanaossei_) May 26, 2025

If you don't prosecute any of these people but just dismiss them it will be seen as a mean to create job for party people by sacking npp emplyed and recruiting ndc people

— DaSaint (@EmmaDaSaint) May 26, 2025

Why are we so corrupt as a country when people get the opportunity they want to steal why. Oh African people are selfish and greedy

— Attipoe 🇬🇭💙 (@Ademens1) May 26, 2025

Sir we Ghanaians in diaspora thank you for your good work ,please kindly do the same to the Ghana Embassy in Spain Madrid and Germany Berlin,the most corrupt embassies in Europe,Faustrasting Ghanaian Nationals and taking money from them,issuing Ghana passport to other Nationals.

— Mateen Taju (@mateentaju) May 26, 2025

This is the kind of leadership Ghana needs!
Swift, unapologetic, and rooted in accountability.
Kudos mr. minister for standing firm against corruption—even when it means shaking the system to its core.
This is how you protect national interest and public trust. More of this,

— ras sedem (@ras_sedem1) May 26, 2025