Ghana's Majority rejects parliamentary probe into passport racketeering allegations

The Majority in Parliament has alleged that the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration facilitated a service passport racketeering scheme at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to them, the practice dates back to 2023. The Majority claims that the former administration recruited an individual into the Ministry towards the end of its tenure to enable him to continue his alleged involvement in the irregular issuance of service passports.

The Vice Chairman of Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee, Cletus Dapilah, urged the Minority Caucus to exercise responsibility in its oversight role rather than politicise the ongoing investigations. He alleged that the individual was recruited on November 29, 2024, shortly before the NPP government left office, to preserve his influence within the Ministry. Dapilah claimed the appointment was intended to perpetuate passport racketeering.

Dapilah made further allegations that the Chief Director's signature on the approval letters was forged by the said individual. He stated that preliminary investigation reports available to him reveal this. According to him, the NPP administration had a cabal that perpetuated passport racketeering, and the recruited individual was part of this arrangement.

The allegations of passport racketeering have prompted investigations by the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The Ministry has interdicted the Acting Director of Passports, Mahama Yahaya Amantana, and Foreign Service Officer Alhassan Sumani. They have also been referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigations and possible prosecution. The Ministry has identified 10 service passports allegedly issued irregularly and cancelled all of them.

The Minority has accused officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Passport Office of facilitating the alleged sale of travel documents to unqualified individuals. They claim that hundreds of Ghanaians may have travelled abroad using passports obtained through the arrangement. However, the Ministry has clarified that its preliminary investigation concerns the alleged irregular issuance of service passports, not diplomatic passports.

Dapilah rejected calls by the Minority Caucus for the establishment of an ad hoc parliamentary committee to investigate the matter. He believes the committee established by the Foreign Affairs Ministry has the mandate and capacity to investigate the allegations. This stance contrasts with that of the Minority, which argues that the internal committee cannot be trusted to investigate itself.

The controversy surrounding passport racketeering allegations continues to unfold. Key points include the alleged involvement of the previous NPP administration, the recruitment of an individual to perpetuate the practice, and the ongoing investigations by the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Key points

• The Majority in Parliament has rejected a call for a parliamentary probe into allegations of passport racketeering.
• The allegations date back to 2023 under the previous NPP administration.
• The Foreign Affairs Ministry has identified 10 service passports allegedly issued irregularly and cancelled them.