The Minority in Parliament has slammed Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa over the temporary closure of Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The caucus said Mr. Ablakwa lacks the tact and diplomacy expected of Ghana’s top diplomat.
The Embassy was temporarily shut down on Monday, May 26, following a special audit that uncovered a corruption scandal involving a local staff member, Fred Kwarteng, who worked in the IT department.
Kwarteng was found to have created an unauthorized payment portal through which he allegedly charged illegal fees ranging between $29.75 and $60 from passport applicants—fees not sanctioned under Ghana’s Fees and Charges Act.
The Minister had earlier described the closure as necessary for a “comprehensive restructuring and systems overhaul.”
However, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has advised Mr. Ablakwa to be cautious in his decisions and comments, stating they could harm Ghana’s reputation.
Mr. Jinapor also urged the Minister to avoid “acting like an opposition politician” and to engage more constructively with the Foreign Affairs Committee on key matters.
Meanwhile, the Ministry has announced that the Ghana Embassy in Washington, D.C., will reopen for full consular and administrative services on Thursday, May 29.
In a statement issued by the Ministry, it said a team of seasoned diplomats, led by a senior official from the Ministry, has been deployed to take over the running of the Mission.
ALSO READ: