Ghana Temporarily Shuts Down Washington DC Embassy Over Corruption Scandal

Foreign Affairs Minister orders full staff recall, probes extortion scheme uncovered by audit

Ghana has temporarily closed its embassy in Washington DC as part of a sweeping response to a corruption scandal involving extortion by embassy staff. The closure, described as a “system overhaul,” follows a special audit that exposed a clandestine scheme in which applicants for visas and passports were allegedly forced to pay illegal fees.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa made the announcement via a Facebook post on Saturday, confirming that all foreign service officers at the embassy have been recalled. The audit reportedly uncovered that members of the embassy’s local IT department orchestrated the scam, which involved manipulating the application process to demand unauthorized payments.

In a decisive move, the government has:

• Dissolved the embassy’s IT department
• Suspended all locally recruited staff
• Recalled all foreign service personnel from Washington DC
• Initiated legal processes to prosecute those found culpable

Minister Ablakwa emphasized that the government is committed to cleaning up the Foreign Affairs Ministry and restoring public confidence in Ghana’s diplomatic missions abroad. He also indicated that the embassy will remain closed until a new structure is implemented to ensure transparency and integrity.

This development has drawn widespread attention, with many Ghanaians applauding the swift action while calling for similar accountability across other embassies.

Also Read: 701 Diplomatic and Service Passports Cancelled by Foreign Affairs Ministry Over Recall Breach