The Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Bernard Bediako, has disclosed that an employee of the Foreign Affairs Ministry has been interdicted over allegations involving the sale of diplomatic passports.

His disclosure is in reaction to concerns raised by the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, over reports that diplomatic passports were allegedly being sold for amounts ranging from US$10,000 to US$50,000.

Abu Jinapor speaks after Tuesday's 'showdown' with Speaker of Parliament

Speaking on TV3 on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Bediako said the employee at the centre of the scandal was recruited in November 2024 and had been interdicted following the discovery of the alleged misconduct.

He stressed that the case under investigation involved a service passport and had nothing to do with diplomatic passports, contrary to the claims being made by the Minority.

“Let me tell you, the issue at hand, the narrative all over, has nothing to do with a diplomatic [passport]. It has everything to do with a service passport, if they don't know the difference. It has nothing to do with a diplomatic passport. There is nothing about a diplomatic passport; if they have any evidence, they should say.

“In fact, with the service passport, it is an employee they recruited in November 2024. Because the matter is under investigation, it's not even fair to the gentleman. Let's be fair. It's under investigation. We know, we all know what happened. As we speak, the gentleman is no longer working there. He's been interdicted,” he said.

Bediako added that the Foreign Affairs Minister had acted swiftly by ensuring that those involved in the matter were interdicted.

“There is no issue as we speak now, because the minister acted swiftly. Those who were supposed to be interdicted were interdicted,” he stated.

Bediako also challenged Jinapor to provide evidence to support his claims of diplomatic passports being sold, insisting that the matter involving the interdicted employee was about service passports, not diplomatic passports.

“This matter, where the gentleman and then some other people were allegedly involved in whatever they did, has nothing to do with diplomatic passports, but rather service passports,” he insisted.

It will be recalled that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, ordered the Member of Parliament (MP) for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, to walk out of the Chamber following a disagreement over allegations that Ghanaian diplomatic passports were being sold for amounts ranging from US$10,000 to US$50,000.

Jinapor had described the development as a serious threat to Ghana’s international reputation, calling for the matter to be brought before Parliament for investigation.

Why Speaker Bagbin ordered Abu Jinapor to walk out of Parliament

He maintained that there was “unimpeachable evidence” that diplomatic passports were being sold and argued that the issue required urgent parliamentary attention because of its potential implications for Ghana’s standing in the international community.

“As we speak today, there is evidence, unimpeachable evidence, that today diplomatic passports are being sold, Mr Speaker,” he told the House.

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