Majority accuses Akufo-Addo administration of creating the conditions for passport racketeering.
By Amoako Kwame The Majority in Parliament has accused the previous Akufo-Addo administration of creating conditions that enabled an alleged service passport racketeering scheme at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, insisting that the practice dates back to 2023. The Majority claims the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) government recruited Alhassan Sumani, described as a former […]
The Majority in Ghana's Parliament has accused the former Akufo-Addo administration of facilitating irregularities in the issuance of Ghanaian Service Passports, dating back to 2023. This claim stems from a disclosure by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which announced that preliminary investigations found ten Service Passports were issued irregularly to unqualified individuals. The Ministry noted these irregularities originated in 2023.
Acting Director of Passports Mahama Yahaya Amantana and Alhassan Sumani, a former "goro boy" of the Ministry towards the end of the Akufo-Addo administration, have been interdicted and referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigation and potential prosecution. Vice Chairman of the Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee, Cletus Dapilah, alleged the previous administration had recruited Sumani to perpetuate the alleged passport racketeering.
Dapilah claimed he had documentary evidence of Sumani's recruitment on November 29, 2023, and argued the appointment letter could be shown. He also alleged that Sumani had been involved in passport irregularities since 2023, claiming Sumani's recruitment enabled him to maintain influence. Assertions of forged Chief Director signatures and Sumani's alleged forgery have not been independently verified.
Dapilah urged the Minority Caucus to exercise responsibility, criticizing their claims as unsubstantiated. He rejected the Minority's call for a special parliamentary committee to investigate, stating the existing Ministry's investigative committee was equipped to handle the inquiry. The Ministry clarified that the investigation pertains to Service Passports, not Diplomatic Passports, and no evidence has emerged suggesting Ghana's Diplomatic Passports are being sold.
The Minority persists in calling for a parliamentary inquiry, while the Majority asserts the investigative committee should conclude its work. Ongoing investigations have not yet determined the culpability of the named individuals.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
