The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ghana has interdicted two senior officials and referred them to the Ghana Police Service for investigation over an alleged scheme involving the illegal issuance of Service Passports in exchange for money. The interdicted officials are Mr Mahama Yahaya Amantana, Acting Director of Passports, and Mr Alhassan Sumani, a junior Foreign Service Officer. They were named in petitions concerning the alleged scheme.
Preliminary investigations have established that some individuals who were not eligible for Service Passports had obtained the documents through illegal payments to a syndicate operating within the passport administration system. The action followed two petitions alleging that US$29,000 was paid in 2023 and US$5,000 in 2026 to persons involved in the operation. The first petition was received on October 8, 2026.
The Ministry's statement said Mr Sumani was alleged to have been the chief architect of the scheme and operated as a middleman before joining the Foreign Service on November 29, 2024. Investigations had identified 10 Service Passports issued irregularly between January 2023 and August 2026. The documents, issued to four individuals in 2023 and six in 2026, had all been cancelled.
International partners have been notified of the cancellations, while efforts are underway to pursue the holders, including two persons who had used the documents to travel in 2023. Ambassador Mohammed Habib Idris, a retired former Director of Passports, who served during the period when some of the alleged irregularities occurred, would also be investigated by the security services.
The development comes five days after the youth wing of the opposition New Patriotic Party staged a demonstration in Accra, demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in passport issuance and the management of public funds. The protesters called for the removal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, an independent audit, and disclosure of Diplomatic and Service Passports issued.
The Ministry described the alleged operation as a sophisticated scheme that predated the current administration, stressing that there was no evidence of the sale of Ghanaian Diplomatic Passports. The Ministry outlined reforms introduced since 2025 to strengthen passport administration, including the introduction of chip-embedded passports and application centres in all 16 regions.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing the investigations and ensuring that persons found culpable are brought to justice. A total of 754 Service Passports have been issued from 2025 to date, compared with 3,174 between 2017 and 2024, and 1,397 between 2009 and 2016.
Key points
- Two senior officials interdicted over alleged illegal sale of Service Passports
- 10 Service Passports issued irregularly between January 2023 and August 2026
- Ministry outlines reforms to strengthen passport administration
