The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has cancelled 10 Service Passports allegedly issued unlawfully to individuals who do not qualify for them, following investigations into an alleged passport-for-sale scheme that is believed to have been operating since 2023.
The Ministry has also interdicted two officers, including the Acting Director of Passports, Mahama Yahaya Amantana, and a junior Foreign Service Officer, Allhassan Sumani, who have been named in petitions submitted to the Ministry over the alleged irregularities.
In a statement issued in Accra on Sunday, November 8, 2026, the Ministry said the two officers had been referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigations and possible prosecution.
The action follows two petitions received by the Ministry, with the first submitted on October 8, 2026, raising concerns about an alleged criminal network involved in the unlawful issuance of Service Passports.
According to the Ministry, a committee was constituted on October 13, 2026, on the instructions of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to investigate the allegations.
The Ministry disclosed that the petitions contained allegations of substantial payments made to individuals believed to be involved in the scheme.
It said the petitioner who raised the matter in 2023 claimed to have paid US$29,000, while another petitioner who submitted a complaint in 2026 alleged paying US$5,000 to members of the suspected syndicate.
Preliminary investigations, according to the Ministry, have established that individuals who were not eligible for Service Passports were issued the travel documents after allegedly making illegal payments to members of the network.
The Ministry identified 10 passports allegedly issued through the scheme between January 2023 and August 2026.
The affected individuals and passport details are as follows:
1. Richard Sakyi Apenteng – Passport number SX004034, issued on January 3, 2023.
2. Augustina Agyei Boateng – Passport number SX004032, issued on January 3, 2023.
3. Juliet Amankwa – Passport number SX004086, issued on January 31, 2023.
4. Rebecca Agyeiwaa – Passport number SX004089, issued on February 2, 2023.
5. Prince Ahensah – Passport number SX0604674, issued on May 28, 2026.
6. Maybel Ahensah – Passport number SX0604687, issued on May 28, 2026.
7. Twumasi Francis Kwame – Passport number SX0605905, issued on August 11, 2026.
8. Gyabaah Anthony – Passport number SX0605895, issued on August 11, 2026.
9. Frederick Ennin – Passport number SX0605918, issued on August 11, 2026.
10. Bosompem Richard – Passport number SX0605921, issued on August 11, 2026.
The Ministry said all 10 passports had been cancelled and are no longer valid for travel.
It added that Ghana’s international partners have been formally notified of the cancellations.
The individuals who allegedly obtained the passports, including two who reportedly used the documents to travel in 2023, are also being pursued.
In a move the Ministry described as necessary to ensure fairness and impartiality, the former Director of Passports during the period covering the 2023 irregularities, Ambassador Mohammed Habib Idris, who has since retired, will also be investigated by the security services.
The Ministry said appropriate sanctions would be applied if the are found culpable.
It stressed that the investigation would not be limited to officers currently serving in the Passport Office, insisting that anyone found to have played a role in the alleged scheme would be held accountable.
According to the Ministry, the suspected operation is a sophisticated network that had been in existence before the current administration assumed office.
It, however, maintained that heightened monitoring and the government’s zero-tolerance approach to corruption had helped expose the alleged activities.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry has also sought to clarify that the investigation concerns Service Passports and not Diplomatic Passports.
It said no evidence had so far emerged to suggest that Ghana’s Diplomatic Passports are being sold.
The clarification comes amid concerns about the integrity of Ghana’s passport administration system following revelations of the alleged irregular issuance of official travel documents.
The Ministry emphasised that the two categories of passports were distinct and urged the public not to conflate the ongoing investigation with the issuance of Diplomatic Passports.
It further assured Ghanaians and the international community that the credibility of all categories of Ghanaian passports remained a priority.
As part of its statement, the Ministry released official figures on the number of Service and Diplomatic Passports issued under successive administrations.
According to the data, a total of 1,397 Service Passports were issued between 2009 and 2016, compared with 3,174 issued from 2017 to 2024.
From 2025 to date, the Ministry said 754 Service Passports had been issued.
For Diplomatic Passports, the figures show that 2,899 were issued between 2009 and 2016, while 5,682 were issued between 2017 and 2024.
A further 1,944 Diplomatic Passports have been issued since 2025, according to the Ministry.
Beyond the investigation, the Ministry used the statement to highlight reforms introduced under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration to improve the efficiency, affordability and security of Ghana’s passport system.
It said the reforms included the introduction of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)-compliant chip-embedded passports, the establishment of Passport Application Centres in all 16 regions and the introduction of 24-hour operations.
Other interventions include a free courier delivery service, an electronic tracking mechanism for applications and investments in technology-driven security measures.
The Ministry also disclosed that the passport application fee had been reduced from GH¢500 to GH¢350, despite what it described as significant investments in modernising the system.
It said the reduction is intended to make passport acquisition more affordable and accessible to Ghanaians.
The Ministry further argued that the growing number of visa-waiver agreements signed by Ghana in recent months reflected the increasing international value and credibility of the country’s passport.
It also cited a Ghana Statistical Service survey in which respondents reportedly identified passport administration as the most transformed and least corrupt public institution in the country.
The Ministry credited Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa with championing the ongoing reforms and taking decisive action following the receipt of the petitions.
It said his commitment to institutional integrity and zero tolerance for corruption informed the decision to establish the investigative committee, interdict the officers and refer the matter to the police.
The Ministry pledged to ensure that all individuals found culpable in the alleged passport-for-sale scheme face the appropriate consequences.
It also promised transparency, impartiality and accountability throughout the investigative process.
The Ministry maintained that it would continue implementing institutional reforms and security measures to protect the integrity of Ghanaian passports and preserve the confidence of citizens and international partners in the country’s travel documents.
By 1960news.com
