EVIDENCE: How Ghana’s Washington Embassy staff shared money extorted from visa and passport applicants

A comprehensive audit conducted by Ghana's Auditor-General has exposed a complex scheme orchestrated by staff at the Ghana Embassy in Washington, D.C., to extort money from visa and passport applicants between 2019 and 2025. The audit, which examined activities from 2017 to 2025, uncovered that the embassy officials devised and amassed millions of dollars in illicit funds, totaling an estimated $19.4 million. The illegal transactions were brought to light and halted in early 2025 under the new administration.

The scheme involved the creation of a website, GhanaPV.Org, which mimicked the embassy's official website by incorporating the Ghanaian Coat of Arms, the name "Embassy of Ghana," and official contact details. The site redirected applicants to charge $29.75 for return postage and support services, while the actual charges were approximately $10.10.

Various companies linked to the embassy's IT Officer, Fred Kwarteng, were involved in the operation, including Ghana Travel Consultancy (GTC), Secure Data Center LLC, Travel Ghana, and Travel Global. These entities charged applicants fees for mailing and application support services.

Audit findings suggest that senior embassy officials were complicit in Kwarteng's activities. The report revealed that the Chief Treasury Officer engaged in welfare account transactions, payment arrangements, and operational coordination with Kwarteng's associated entities. Moreover, the Minister of Consular Affairs participated in communications involving private entities linked to Kwarteng, redirecting applicants to his private platforms.

The audit report also revealed that the Ghana Embassy's welfare account was used to funnel funds from Kwarteng's activities, with Citibank raising queries regarding the account's legitimacy and the funds' source.