The Minority in Parliament has intensified calls for an independent investigation into alleged irregularities in the issuance of Ghanaian diplomatic and service passports, accusing officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Passport Office of being linked to a scheme that allegedly enabled unqualified individuals to obtain the special travel documents for money.
The opposition caucus is expected to file a motion on Monday, November 9, 2026, seeking the establishment of an ad hoc parliamentary committee to investigate the alleged sale and fraudulent acquisition of the passports.
Samuel Abu Jinapor, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee and Member of Parliament for Damongo, announced the planned move during a press conference on Sunday, November 8.
He said the Minority has obtained documents, including ministerial approval letters, bank deposit receipts and mobile money transaction records, which it believes provide grounds for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged scheme.
According to Mr Jinapor, some individuals were allegedly assigned fictitious public-sector positions to enable them to qualify for diplomatic and service passports, despite having no legitimate entitlement to the documents.
He alleged that the arrangement involved officials of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Passport Office, alongside private agents who allegedly facilitated transactions between prospective applicants and persons within the system.
The Minority wants Parliament to investigate the identities of those involved, the approval processes, the payments allegedly made and the number of passports issued under questionable circumstances.
Mr Jinapor questioned the adequacy of a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the controversy shortly before his press conference.
Although acknowledging the Ministry’s attempt to address the matter, he argued that the statement failed to answer the specific questions raised by the opposition and did not adequately address the documentary evidence it had gathered.
He noted that the statement was released barely two hours before the press conference, which had already been advertised.
The Ranking Member maintained that an internal investigation by the Ministry can not replace an independent parliamentary inquiry, particularly because the allegations concern officials and administrative processes within the institution.
He said the proposed investigation would allow the relevant documents to be examined, witnesses to be questioned and all persons implicated to respond to the allegations.
“Our purpose is to secure an independent parliamentary inquiry in which the available material can be examined, witnesses heard, and all persons concerned afforded a fair opportunity to respond,” he said.
Providing details of the alleged operation, Mr Jinapor identified Ibrahim Wali as the person purportedly managing a travel and tour business in Ghana, while Bright Yeboah Owusu was identified as an agent based in Europe.
He alleged that the business is operated on behalf of certain officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Passport Office to facilitate international travel for customers willing to pay for access to diplomatic and service passports.
According to the Minority’s account, the service is marketed as an opportunity for individuals to travel to destinations where obtaining ordinary visas could prove difficult.
However, because the prospective customers allegedly did not meet the legal requirements for the special passports, they were assigned official titles and positions in public institutions to make their applications appear legitimate.
Mr Jinapor claimed that some of the designations used in the applications do not exist, while other applicants were presented as occupying positions held by different individuals.
He further alleged that officials within the Ministry and the Passport Office were expected to assist the passport holders at the airport to facilitate their departure and minimise scrutiny by immigration officers.
The MP said information available to the Minority suggested that several Ghanaian and foreign nationals had already travelled to Europe and other destinations using passports allegedly obtained through the arrangement.
Among the documents presented by Mr Jinapor are letters from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs authorising the issuance of service passports to individuals described as officials of various public institutions.
He said the documents were signed by the Ministry’s Chief Director, Ambassador Khadija Idrisu, on the authority of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
One letter, dated June 1, 2026, and referenced SCR.PA-1S, reportedly approved service passports for individuals presented as officials of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council.
Mr Jinapor drew attention to the name Amoah Boadi, who was listed as Director of Audit Services.
He subsequently presented another letter dated June 4, 2026, which reportedly approved service passports for individuals described as officials of the Akrofrom District Assembly.
The same name, Amoah Boadi, appeared on the second document, but this time under the designation of Deputy District Coordinating Director.
The Ranking Member questioned how the same individual could have been presented as holding two different positions at separate public institutions within three days.
“Do these entries refer to the same person? If so, how did the same person come to be presented under two different official positions at two different institutions for the purposes of obtaining these passports?” he asked.
He said the apparent discrepancies raises questions about the authenticity of the information submitted to the Ministry and the due diligence undertaken before the approvals were granted.
The Minority wants the proposed committee to establish who provided the applicants’ official particulars and whether the relevant institutions verified the claims before recommending them for the passports.
Mr Jinapor also cited approval letters involving the Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training Service, the Fisheries Commission and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
A letter dated June 5, 2026, referenced SCR.PA/S, reportedly approved service passports for four individuals described as officials of the Ghana TVET Service.
He said the Minority’s checks suggest that some of the individuals listed do not occupy the positions attributed to them.
Another letter, dated August 7, 2026, reportedly authorised the issuance of service passports to individuals presented as officials of the Fisheries Commission.
According to Mr Jinapor, some of the positions listed in the document do not exist, while other individuals do not hold the stated designations.
He also referred to a letter dated August 6, 2026, concerning applicants presented as officials of NADMO.
He alleged that similar discrepancies had been identified in the document, including instances where the individuals listed do not occupy the positions attributed to them.
The Minority argues that the documents point to possible weaknesses in the verification and approval processes governing the issuance of service passports.
It wants the proposed parliamentary investigation to establish whether the discrepancies resulted from administrative failures, deliberate misrepresentation or the involvement of individuals seeking to exploit the passport administration system.
The alleged financial transactions are another major component of the evidence presented by the Minority.
Mr Jinapor displayed what he described as Ghana Commercial Bank cash deposit receipts showing payments made to Bright Yeboah Owusu on June 15 and June 24, 2026.
He also presented mobile money transaction records which he said shows additional payments to the same individual.
According to him, the transactions were made by customers seeking to obtain service passports and benefit from the travel arrangements allegedly promised by the agents.
He claimed that some customers who made payments were subsequently left stranded when they attempted to travel because the officials expected to facilitate their passage through the airport allegedly failed to respond to their calls.
Some of the affected individuals, he added, were also unable to recover the money they had paid.
Mr Jinapor said complaints from dissatisfied customers contributed to the emergence of information that eventually reached the Minority.
He called for the payment records to be examined to establish the purpose of the transactions, the ultimate beneficiaries and whether any public officials received money in connection with the alleged passport arrangements.
The Ranking Member also raised concerns about the interdiction of the Director of Passports and an A2 officer, Yahya Amantana Mahama, alongside other officials in connection with the controversy.
He expressed concern that the interdicted officers could be made scapegoats while other individuals who may have played significant roles in the alleged arrangement escape scrutiny.
According to him, the investigation must examine the responsibilities of everyone involved in recommending, processing, approving and issuing the passports.
He argued that accountability should extend to senior officials and other persons who may have exercised authority over the transactions, rather than being restricted to officers directly involved in processing applications.
Mr Jinapor further maintained that the Foreign Affairs Minister bears ultimate responsibility under the country’s passport administration framework because passports are issued under the Minister’s authority.
He therefore wants the proposed inquiry to examine the Minister’s role, alongside that of the Ministry’s Chief Director and other relevant officials.
Explaining the significance of the controversy, Mr Jinapor said diplomatic and service passports are special travel documents issued under the authority of the Republic of Ghana to individuals who meet specific legal requirements.
Citing Sections 6 and 7 of the Passports and Travel Certificates Act, 1967 (NLCD 156), he explained that diplomatic passports are intended for designated government officials, diplomatic and consular officers, heads of Ghanaian delegations to international conferences and other prominent citizens or high-ranking public officials whose official travel requires such documentation.
Service passports, on the other hand, are issued to public officers and other Ghanaians travelling abroad on official state business who do not qualify for diplomatic passports.
He stressed that the documents are intended for official purposes and should not be treated as personal privileges available to individuals willing to pay for them.
According to Mr Jinapor, diplomatic passports reportedly provide visa-free access to 62 countries, while service passports offer visa-free access to 59 countries.
He identified Hong Kong, Qatar and Turkey as the three destinations where the visa-free arrangements for the two categories of passport holders differ.
He warned that allowing individuals to obtain the documents through false official designations could undermine the confidence foreign governments place in Ghanaian travel documents.
Foreign governments, he argued, rely on the assurance that holders of diplomatic and service passports have legitimate official status and are travelling for authorised purposes.
“If these passports can be bought under false official designations, it will mean that the system for issuing them has been hugely compromised,” he said.
He cautioned that the alleged practice could expose legitimate Ghanaian officials to increased scrutiny abroad and damage the country’s diplomatic rereputation.
Under the proposed motion, the Minority wants Parliament to establish an ad hoc committee to review all approvals and issuances of diplomatic and service passports from January 7, 2025, to the date the motion is adopted.
Mr Jinapor said the committee should also have access to earlier records where necessary to establish the background to specific transactions.
The proposed investigation is expected to determine the total number of diplomatic and service passports issued during the period, how many were legitimately granted and whether any were obtained through fraudulent representations.
It should also establish how many individuals who allegedly did not qualify for the documents have travelled outside Ghana using them and whether the alleged arrangement remains operational.
The Minority wants the committee to examine:
– Passport applications and supporting documents.
– Institutional recommendations and verification records.
– Ministerial approval letters.
– Passport issuance and collection records.
– Bank deposits, mobile money transactions and other payment records.
– Relevant communications between public officials and private agents.
– Electronic records showing who processed, approved or altered individual applications.
Mr Jinapor said a detailed examination of these records would help establish where the verification system failed and identify the individuals responsible.
The Ranking Member said the proposed committee should invite the Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; the Ministry’s Chief Director, Ambassador Khadija Idrisu; the interdicted Director of Passports; the identified agents; relevant passport and immigration officers; and individuals who obtained the special passports.
He argued that all persons whose decisions or actions may have contributed to the issuance of the documents should be given an opportunity to explain their roles.
Citing Article 103 of the 1992 Constitution, Mr Jinapor said Parliament has the constitutional authority to establish committees to investigate the activities and administration of ministries and government departments.
He maintained that the committee should exercise the necessary parliamentary powers to compel witnesses to appear, examine them under oath or affirmation and demand the production of relevant documents.
At the conclusion of the investigation, he expects the committee to make findings identifying any wrongdoing, establishing responsibility and recommending appropriate sanctions.
These could include disciplinary action, recovery of money, referrals for criminal investigations and recommendations for reforms to the existing passport administration framework.
Mr Jinapor also questioned the adequacy of an internal committee reportedly established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to investigate the controversy.
The committee is reportedly chaired by Ambassador Alexander Grant Ntrakwa.
Although acknowledging the existence of the internal investigation, the Ranking Member insisted that it can not replace an independent parliamentary inquiry.
He argued that because the allegations concern officials and administrative processes within the Ministry, Parliament must independently examine the matter to ensure transparency and accountability.
Invoking the legal principle nemo judex in causa sua — meaning that no one should be a judge in their own cause — he maintained that the Ministry should not be the sole institution responsible for investigating allegations involving its own officials and procedures.
He also raised concerns about the conduct of the internal investigation, claiming that members of the committee had been instructed not to speak publicly about the matter.
The Minority believes that parliamentary oversight would provide an independent avenue for examining the allegations and ensuring that the public receives credible answers.
Mr Jinapor appealed to members of the Majority in Parliament to support the proposed motion, stressing that agreeing to an investigation would not amount to accepting the allegations as established facts.
Rather, he said, it would demonstrate Parliament’s commitment to transparency and accountability in matters affecting the country’s national interest.
He maintained that the proposed inquiry would provide an opportunity for the Ministry, officials, agents and other persons implicated to respond to the claims and offer explanations for the documents and transactions presented by the Minority.
“If there are proper explanations for these documents and transactions, let them be given before the committee. If wrongdoing is established, let those responsible be held accountable,” he said.
He added that the Minority would pursue all lawful parliamentary avenues to ensure that the allegations are investigated and that appropriate action would be taken.
The controversy has placed Ghana’s diplomatic and service passport administration under renewed public scrutiny, with questions emerging over the verification of applicants, the authority behind approvals and the safeguards against the misuse of official travel documents.
By 1960news.com
