Ghana has temporarily closed its embassy in Washington, D.C. and recalled all foreign affairs staff amid an investigation into an alleged visa fraud scandal.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the closure on X, revealing that a special audit team uncovered a scheme in which a local staff member in the embassy’s IT department created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website.

This link redirected visa and passport applicants to his private company, where they were charged additional fees for multiple services without the knowledge of the Foreign Ministry.

The investigations reveal that he and his collaborators operated this illegal scheme for at least five years.

“Ghana’s embassy in Washington, D.C. shall be closed for a few days from today as we finalize the ongoing restructuring and systems overhaul,” he said.

According to Ablakwa, visa and passport applicants were unknowingly redirected and charged between $30 and $60 for various services, with all proceeds allegedly funnelled into a private account controlled by a locally hired embassy staff member.

In response, all foreign ministry officials stationed at the embassy have been recalled home with immediate effect, and the embassy’s IT department has been promptly dissolved.

Minister Ablakwa emphasized the government’s uncompromising stance on corruption, stating that President John Mahama’s administration will continue to uphold zero tolerance for corruption, blatant conflicts of interest, and abuse of office.