By Prince Ahenkorah
The nation’s top diplomat, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has dropped the hammer on Ghana’s US embassy in Washington D.C. after a shocking expose uncovered a web of corruption within its walls.
In a bombshell social media announcement today, Minister Ablakwa declared the immediate shutdown of the embassy in response to “serious corruption and misconduct” that have tarnished its reputation.
In a bold move backed by President Mahama himself, the Minister revealed, “I’ve taken swift and drastic action based on damning findings from a special audit unit I commissioned to probe alleged sleaze at Ghana’s Washington D.C. mission.”
One of the Ministry’s own, Mr. Fred Kwarteng – a local hire on duty at the IT hub since August 11, 2017 – faced the axe for his alleged role in a shady plot. An illicit link on the embassy website, as found by investigators, funneled visa and passport seekers straight to Kwarteng’s private outfit, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), where fat fees were pocketed without approval.
According to the Minister, Kwarteng’s unauthorized charges, ranging from US$29.75 to US$60 per applicant, have raked in under-the-table cash for at least 5 years in cahoots with accomplices.
The culprits now risk the long arm of the law as their misconduct has been handed over to the Attorney-General for potential prosecution and recovery of ill-gotten gains.
In a clean sweep, all embassy staff are being sent home right away with the IT arm disbanded. A top-to-toe probe by the Auditor-General is also in the works to pin down the full cost of this elaborate swindle.
Closing the book on the scandal, Ablakwa declared, “Ghana’s Washington D.C. embassy will be shuttered temporarily starting today as we overhaul systems and settle the dust of these shocking revelations.”
While passport and visa applicants may face disruptions, the Minister emphasized President Mahama’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption, conflict of interest, and office abuse – sending a resolute message to wrongdoers.