The Minority in Parliament has alleged that officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Passport Office facilitated the sale of Diplomatic and Service Passports to about 300 unqualified Ghanaians, some of whom have reportedly travelled to Europe and other destinations using the documents.
The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, made the allegation at a media briefing on Sunday, November 8, claiming that the officials operated a travel and tour business through which individuals paid to obtain the passports.
According to Mr Jinapor, Ibrahim Wallee was the alleged manager of the operation in Ghana, with Bright Yeboah Owusu serving as his agent.
He alleged that applicants were assigned government positions and official designations they did not hold to make them eligible for the travel documents. In some instances, the positions reportedly given to applicants did not even exist.
Mr Jinapor further claimed that the passports were marketed to individuals seeking to travel to countries where the documents could offer visa-free access, particularly those who might otherwise struggle to secure the required travel authorisation.
He also alleged that some personnel of the Foreign Affairs Ministry assisted travellers at the airport to avoid or minimise scrutiny by officers of the Ghana Immigration Service.
“As at now, our sources indicate that some 300 Ghanaians have travelled to Europe and other destinations using diplomatic and service passports allegedly issued through this arrangement,” he said.
The allegations come as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the cancellation of 10 Service Passports allegedly issued illegally to individuals who did not qualify for them, following preliminary investigations into a passport-for-sale scheme believed to have been operating since 2023.
In a statement issued on Sunday, November 8, the Ministry disclosed that the passports were obtained through payments allegedly made to a syndicate operating within the passport administration system.
The Ministry has also interdicted two officials, including the Acting Director of Passports, Mahama Yahaya Amantana, over their alleged involvement in the scheme.
A junior Foreign Service Officer, Alhassan Sumani, identified in petitions as the alleged chief architect of the operation, has also been interdicted.
The three officials’ alleged involvement is now subject to further investigation, with the two interdicted officers referred to the Ghana Police Service for investigations and possible prosecution.
