By Stanley Assor
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has commenced investigations into the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa and the alleged racketeering of Service Passports at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The office of the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, announced the investigations on November 9, 2026, in a statement issued in Accra.
According to the OSP, it is investigating alleged corruption and corruption-related offences connected to the Government’s expenditure of GH¢49.72 million on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks.
The Office is also probing allegations of corruption and corruption-related offences arising from the suspected Service Passport-for-sale scheme at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The announcement comes at a time when both matters are already subject to separate investigations by other state institutions.
The South Africa evacuation expenditure is currently being reviewed by the Auditor-General, while the Service Passport scandal is being investigated by a committee constituted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Critics of the OSP’s decision have therefore questioned the need for what they describe as parallel investigations, arguing that the move could result in a duplication of efforts and unnecessary expenditure of public resources.
Lawyer Brako Powers, one of the critics of the move, argued that the OSP could have waited for the Auditor-General to complete the audit of the South Africa evacuation expenditure before deciding whether further investigations were necessary.
According to him, some of the concerns raised about the evacuation, including issues surrounding discrepancies in the dates of birth of some beneficiaries who received support packages to reintegrate into society, do not automatically constitute corruption or corruption-related offences.
Speaking on Accra-based TV3, Lawyer Powers argued that launching multiple investigations into the same matters could lead to a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Other critics have accused the OSP of seeking public relevance by announcing probes into matters that are already being examined by other state institutions.
However, the OSP has defended its decision, explaining that its investigations are aimed at establishing whether criminal offences under its mandate have been committed.
In relation to the Service Passport scandal, the Office stated that it would seek to “establish the roles of those involved, trace the alleged payments, examine the approval and issuance processes” and determine whether corruption or related offences occurred.
The Service Passport investigation follows allegations that an organised network facilitated the acquisition of Service Passports for persons who did not qualify for the travel documents.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already interdicted officials, including the Acting Director of Passports, Mahama Yahaya Amantana, and junior Foreign Service Officer Alhassan Sumani, popularly known as Samini, who has been identified in petitions as an alleged key figure in the scheme.
In the South Africa evacuation matter, the OSP stressed that its investigation is focused on the management of public funds and does not question the Government’s humanitarian decision to evacuate Ghanaians following xenophobic attacks.
“Further information will be disclosed where appropriate,” the Office stated, adding that all persons connected to the investigations are presumed innocent until proven guilty.