The Minority Caucus in Ghana's Parliament has alleged that around 300 Ghanaians have travelled abroad using Diplomatic and Service Passports obtained through an illicit arrangement. This arrangement allegedly involved individuals connected to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Passport Office. The opposition lawmakers claim that applicants paid substantial sums of money to secure the special travel documents despite not meeting the legal requirements for their acquisition.
According to the Ranking Member of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, the suspected operation involved a travel and tour enterprise. Applicants were allegedly presented as officials of various public institutions to facilitate the processing and approval of their passport applications. Some individuals were assigned government positions and institutional affiliations they did not occupy or which did not exist, creating an appearance of eligibility for the special travel documents.
The Minority Caucus claims that the arrangement enabled customers to obtain Diplomatic and Service Passports through payments rather than legitimate administrative procedures. The alleged operator of the travel and tour enterprise in Ghana is identified as Ibrahim Wallee, while Bright Yeboah Owusu is named as his representative in Europe. The Minority maintains that certain officials assisted beneficiaries at the airport to evade or minimise scrutiny from immigration personnel when travelling internationally.
The Minority Caucus has announced that it will formally submit a motion seeking the establishment of an Ad Hoc Parliamentary Committee to investigate the matter. The proposed parliamentary inquiry aims to independently examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged irregular issuance and commercial distribution of the passports. The Minority is also requesting access to relevant administrative records, including passport applications and payment documentation.
The Minority's announcement came just hours after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement addressing a separate but related investigation into alleged irregularities within the passport administration system. The Ministry disclosed that it had cancelled 10 Service Passports suspected of having been acquired through an illegal arrangement. The affected documents were issued between January 2023 and August 2026 to individuals who did not satisfy the prescribed conditions for obtaining Service Passports.
As part of the administrative measures, 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. Retired Ambassador Mohammed Habib Idris, who served as Director of Passports in 2023, will also be subjected to investigations by the relevant security agencies and sanctioned if found culpable.
The proposed parliamentary investigation could provide an opportunity to establish whether the suspected misconduct was confined to the 10 passports identified by the Ministry or formed part of a wider operation involving additional beneficiaries, intermediaries and public officials. The two investigations raise important questions about the distinction between Diplomatic and Service Passports, the institutional processes governing their issuance, and the potential consequences for those implicated.
Key points
- The Minority Caucus alleges 300 Ghanaians obtained Diplomatic and Service Passports through an illicit scheme.
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has cancelled 10 Service Passports suspected of being acquired illegally.
- A parliamentary investigation is proposed to examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged irregular issuance and commercial distribution of the passports.
