Foreign Affairs Ministry cancels 10 illegally issued service passports in alleged $29,000 scheme

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has cancelled 10 illegally issued Ghanaian Service Passports following preliminary findings into an alleged passport-for-sale scheme that has been operating since 2023.

In a statement issued in Accra on November 8, 2026, the Ministry disclosed that the investigation followed two petitions alleging irregularities in the issuance of Service Passports. The first petition, received on October 8, 2026, alleged that the petitioner paid US$29,000 in 2023, while a second petitioner in 2026 claimed to have paid US$5,000 to members of the alleged criminal syndicate.

On the instructions of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a committee was established on October 13, 2026, to investigate the matter.

The Ministry disclosed that the Acting Director of Passports, Mahama Yahaya Amantana, and a junior Foreign Service Officer, Alhassan Sumani (FSO A5), have been interdicted. Sumani, who has been named in all the petitions as the alleged chief architect of the scheme, reportedly operated as a “goro boy” in 2023 before joining the Foreign Service on November 29, 2024.

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Both officers have been referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigations and possible prosecution.

The Ministry’s preliminary investigations identified 10 Service Passports allegedly issued to persons who did not qualify for them after making illegal payments.

The affected passports are:

1. Richard Sakyi Apenteng – SX004034, issued January 3, 2023.
2. Augustina Agyei Boateng – SX004032, issued January 3, 2023.
3. Juliet Amankwa – SX004086, issued January 31, 2023.
4. Rebecca Agyeiwaa – SX004089, issued February 2, 2023.
5. Prince Ahensah – SX0604674, issued May 28, 2026.
6. Maybel Ahensah – SX0604687, issued May 28, 2026.
7. Twumasi Francis Kwame – SX0605905, issued August 11, 2026.
8. Gyabaah Anthony – SX0605895, issued August 11, 2026.
9. Frederick Ennin – SX0605918, issued August 11, 2026.
10. Bosompem Richard – SX0605921, issued August 11, 2026.

The Ministry confirmed that all 10 passports have been cancelled and can no longer be used. International partners have also been notified, while the owners are being pursued. Two of the individuals reportedly used the illegally acquired passports to travel in 2023.

The Ministry further stated that Ambassador Mohammed Habib Idris, who served as Director of Passports during the 2023 period under investigation and has since retired, will also be investigated by the security services and sanctioned if found culpable.

It described the scheme as a sophisticated operation that predated the current administration and maintained that no evidence has so far emerged that Ghanaian Diplomatic Passports are being sold. The investigation concerns Service Passports, not Diplomatic Passports.

The Ministry also outlined reforms introduced by the government under President John Dramani Mahama since assuming office in 2025. These include the introduction of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)-compliant chip-embedded passports, the establishment of Passport Application Centres in all 16 regions, the introduction of 24-hour operations, free courier delivery, an electronic tracking system and technology-driven security protocols.

Despite these investments, the passport application fee was reduced from GH¢500 to GH¢350 to make passports more affordable.

The Ministry said the Ghanaian passport has gained international recognition, citing the unprecedented number of visa waiver agreements signed in recent months. It also stated that Ghanaians surveyed by the Ghana Statistical Service this year identified passport administration as the most transformed and least corrupt public institution in the country.

Official Passport Office data released by the Ministry shows the following issuance figures:

The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to investigating the alleged scheme and ensuring that those found responsible are brought to justice.

It pledged transparency, impartiality and accountability, adding that it would continue implementing institutional reforms and strict measures to protect the credibility and integrity of all categories of Ghanaian passports.