The Embassy of Ghana in Washington D.C. is expected to reopen on Thursday, May 29, resuming full consular services after a temporary closure due to a major corruption scandal.
It was shut down on May 26 as part of a restructuring and systems overhaul after uncovering an IT breach which allowed a staff member to redirect applicants in a fraudulent scheme for personal benefits.
A statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, May 27, said, “A team of seasoned diplomats led by an astute diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been tasked to run the Mission to ensure a total systems overhaul, restore integrity in the Embassy’s operations and complete ongoing structural reforms.”
Additionally, “an Information Technology (IT) team has already been deployed to reconfigure the website and payment platforms to do away with all unofficial and unauthorised links associated with the IT system or the Embassy”.
The matter has been referred to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution and the recovery of misappropriated funds.
Additionally, the Auditor-General has been tasked with conducting a full forensic audit to determine the total financial loss to the state.
While acknowledging the inconvenience caused to Ghanaian nationals and other applicants seeking consular services, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasised that the drastic measures were necessary to restore integrity and accountability within Ghana’s diplomatic missions abroad.
