The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed that the Ghanaian government is working closely with U.S. authorities to freeze the bank accounts of Fredrick Kwarteng, the main suspect in the alleged visa and passport fraud scandal at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Mr. Ablakwa emphasised that this initiative is part of a broader strategy to ensure accountability and bring all involved parties to justice.

“I underscore that Felix Kwarteng, the principal suspect in this case, along with any accomplices, will be held fully accountable under the law.

This includes cooperating with U.S. authorities to freeze the accounts linked to this criminal enterprise,” he stated.

The government temporarily closed the embassy on May 26 following revelations of systemic abuse of office and fraudulent activities.

A special audit uncovered that Kwarteng, who was recruited as an IT staff member in 2017, had set up an unauthorised link on the embassy’s official website.

This link redirected passport and visa applicants to his private firm, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), where they were charged exorbitant fees ranging from $29.75 to $60.

Mr. Ablakwa, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, stated that a series of measures have been initiated to uncover the full extent of the scam.

“I issued a series of directives, which are currently being enforced. One is the establishment of an internal investigative committee to probe all locally recruited staff.

EOCO has been formally notified to pursue Mr. Kwarteng, trace the prints of crime, and ensure he is brought to Ghana for prosecution,” he said.