By Ashiadey Dotse
The Government of Ghana is working closely with U.S. authorities to freeze the bank accounts of Fredrick Kwarteng, the main suspect in a visa and passport fraud scandal at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Foreign Affairs Minister and Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, made this known when he addressed Parliament on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
He said the move is part of efforts to hold all persons involved in the scandal accountable.
“I underscore that Felix Kwarteng, the principal suspect in this case, along with any accomplices, will be held fully accountable under the law. This includes cooperating with US authorities to freeze the accounts linked to this criminal enterprise,” Mr. Ablakwa said.
The Ghanaian Embassy in Washington was temporarily closed on May 26 after reports of widespread abuse of office and fraud.
Investigations revealed that Kwarteng, who was hired locally in 2017 as an IT staff member, had created an illegal link on the embassy’s official website. This fake link directed visa and passport applicants to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), where they were charged unapproved fees ranging from $29.75 to $60.
Mr. Ablakwa said a number of actions have been taken to uncover the full scale of the scam.
“I issued a series of directives, which are currently being enforced. One is an internal investigative committee to probe all locally recruited staff. EOCO has formally been notified to pursue Mr. Kwarteng, trace the prints of crime, and have him brought to Ghana for prosecution,” he added.
