The Minority in Ghana's Parliament has alleged that over 300 Ghanaians traveled to Europe and other destinations using diplomatic and service passports obtained through an arrangement involving false official designations. This claim was made by Samuel Abu Jinapor, Ranking Member on Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, at a press conference on Sunday, November 8. According to Jinapor, some officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Passport Office facilitated the issuance of the passports to individuals who did not qualify to hold them under the law.
The Minority claims that the applicants were assigned positions in public institutions, some of which did not exist, to make them eligible for the special travel documents. Ibrahim Wallee, who allegedly managed a travel and tour business in Ghana, and Bright Yeboah Owusu, identified as his agent in Europe, were involved in the arrangement. The Minority further alleged that officials of the Ministry assisted some of the applicants through the airport to avoid or reduce scrutiny by officers of the Ghana Immigration Service.
To support its allegations, the Minority presented five approval letters signed by the Ministry's Chief Director, Ambassador Khadija Iddrisu, on behalf of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. The letters, dated between June and August 2026, reportedly approved the issuance of diplomatic and service passports to persons presented as officials of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, Akrofuom District Assembly, Ghana TVET Service, Fisheries Commission and the National Disaster Management Organisation.
One of the examples cited was a person identified as Amoh Boadi, whose name appeared in a June 1, 2026 letter as Deputy Director of Audit Services at the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council. However, a second letter dated June 4, 2026, reportedly listed a person with the same name as Deputy District Coordinating Director of the Akrofuom District Assembly. The Minority questioned how the same name could appear under two different positions at separate public institutions within three days and what verification was conducted before the approvals were granted.
The Minority also presented GCB Bank cash deposit receipts and Mobile Money transaction records which it claimed showed payments made to Mr Owusu on June 15 and June 24, 2026, and other dates. These documents were presented as evidence of the alleged illegal transactions involved in obtaining the passports. The Minority is seeking to expose the full extent of the scheme and bring those responsible to account.
The Minority is therefore seeking the establishment of a Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee to investigate all approvals and issuances of diplomatic and service passports from January 7, 2025, to the date the motion is adopted. This investigation aims to uncover the full extent of the alleged illegal scheme and recommend measures to prevent such abuses in the future. The Minority's allegations have raised concerns about the integrity of Ghana's passport issuance process and the potential for abuse of power by some officials.
The allegations have also raised questions about the effectiveness of the current verification processes for passport applications, particularly for diplomatic and service passports. The Minority's claims suggest that there may be a need for more stringent checks and balances to prevent similar schemes from occurring in the future. The outcome of the proposed investigation will be closely watched by the public and may lead to calls for further reforms in the passport issuance process.
Key points
- The Minority alleges that over 300 Ghanaians traveled abroad using diplomatic and service passports obtained through an illegal scheme.
- The scheme involved false official designations and payments to officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Passport Office.
- The Minority is seeking a Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee to investigate the approvals and issuances of diplomatic and service passports.
