The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ghana has uncovered an alleged illegal scheme involving the sale of Ghanaian Service Passports to unqualified individuals. Preliminary investigations established that the individuals obtained the passports through alleged illegal payments to a syndicate operating within the passport administration system since 2023. This led to the interdiction of two passport officials and the cancellation of 10 passports.
The Ministry received two petitions on October 8, 2026, which triggered an investigation into the alleged irregular issuance of Service Passports. One petitioner claimed to have paid US$29,000, while another alleged that US$5,000 was paid to members of the network involved in the scheme. Following the first petition, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa directed the formation of a committee on October 13 to investigate the allegations.
The Acting Director of Passports, Mahama Yahaya Amantana, and a junior Foreign Service Officer, Alhassan Sumani, have been interdicted and referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigations and possible prosecution. Mr Sumani allegedly operated as a middleman, popularly known as a ‘goro boy’, in 2023 before joining the Foreign Service on November 29, 2024. He was named in all the petitions as the alleged mastermind of the operation.
The Ministry identified 10 individuals who allegedly obtained the Service Passports irregularly between January 2023 and August 2026. All 10 passports have been cancelled and can no longer be used. The Ministry also notified Ghana’s international partners of the development. Efforts are underway to track down the beneficiaries, including two individuals who allegedly used the improperly acquired passports to travel in 2023.
The Ministry will investigate the Director of Passports during the period in question in 2023, retired Ambassador Mohammed Habib Idris, and sanction him if found culpable. The alleged scheme predated the current administration, but investigations are ongoing to identify and bring all persons involved to justice. The Ministry distinguished the ongoing investigations from Ghana’s Diplomatic Passport administration, insisting that no evidence had emerged to suggest that diplomatic passports were being sold.
The Ministry provided figures on the issuance of the two categories of passports over three periods. Between 2009 and 2016, 1,397 Service Passports were issued, compared with 3,174 between 2017 and 2024, while 754 had been issued from 2025 to date. For Diplomatic Passports, the figures stood at 2,899 between 2009 and 2016, 5,682 between 2017 and 2024, and 1,944 since 2025.
The Ministry remains committed to strengthening passport administration and ensuring transparency, accountability and the security of all categories of Ghanaian passports. The investigations are part of efforts to ensure fairness and accountability in the administration of passports.
Key points
- Two officers interdicted over alleged illegal sale of Service Passports
- 10 Service Passports cancelled due to irregular issuance
- Investigations ongoing to identify and bring all persons involved to justice
