The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has interdicted two senior officials and referred them to the Ghana Police Service following the exposure of an alleged illegal Service Passport-for-sale syndicate operating within the passport office.
The interdicted officials have been identified as Mahama Yahaya Amantana, the Acting Director of Passports, and Alhassan Sumani, a Junior Foreign Service Officer who is alleged to be the central architect of the scheme. Security services will also investigate a retired ambassador, Mohammed Habib Idris, who served as the Director of Passports during the period the infractions began.
The systemic breach was uncovered following two separate petitions received by the Ministry on October 8, 2026, and in subsequent follow-up reports. According to the findings, the syndicate had been illegally issuing Service Passports to unqualified individuals since January 2023.
The petitioners alleged that substantial bribes were paid to the syndicate to secure the premium travel documents. This included a payment of US$29,000 in 2023 and an additional US$5,000 in 2026.
In an immediate response to the findings, the Ministry has cancelled 10 Service Passports issued to unqualified individuals between January 2023 and August 2026. The cancelled passports have also been flagged with international immigration and security agencies.
The Ministry clarified that the ongoing criminal investigation strictly concerns the irregular issuance of Service Passports, rather than Diplomatic Passports. The suspects have been handed over to the police for criminal investigation and potential prosecution.
The scandal unfolds amid heightened scrutiny of official travel documents, with the Minority in Parliament pushing separate inquiries and motions regarding the management and issuance of national passports.