On Sunday, November 8, the Minority in Parliament presented allegations that officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Passport Office facilitated the sale of diplomatic and service passports to unqualified individuals, allowing roughly 300 Ghanaians to travel to Europe and other destinations with the documents.
Ranking Member Samuel Abu Jinapor of the Foreign Affairs Committee said the operation ran through a travel and tour business, with Ibrahim Wallee named as the alleged manager in Ghana and Bright Yeboah Owusu acting as his agent in Europe. According to Mr Jinapor, the scheme involved assigning applicants fictitious government positions and official designations they did not hold, in some cases even for positions that did not exist, to qualify them for the passports. He claimed the passports were marketed as a visa‑free travel option for people who might otherwise struggle to obtain the necessary authorisation.
Mr Jinapor further alleged that Ministry personnel assisted travellers at the airport to avoid scrutiny by Ghana Immigration Service officers. He said that some 300 Ghanaians have already used the passports to travel abroad.
In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the cancellation of ten service passports that were allegedly issued illegally to individuals who did not qualify. The ministry said the passports were issued after payments were made to a syndicate operating within the passport administration system. It disclosed that two officials, including Acting Director of Passports Mahama Yahaya Amantana, have been interdicted in connection with the investigations, and that junior Foreign Service Officer Alhassan Sumani, identified as the alleged chief architect of the scheme, has also been interdicted. The two officers have been referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigations and possible prosecution.
The allegations have sparked a broader inquiry into passport fraud and the integrity of Ghana’s diplomatic documentation processes. Officials have yet to confirm the extent of the alleged scheme or the identities of all parties involved. The Ministry has pledged to cooperate fully with the police investigation and to strengthen safeguards against future abuses.
