Minority to file motion for parliamentary probe into alleged sale of diplomatic, service passports

The Minority in Parliament will today, Monday, November 9, file a motion seeking the establishment of a Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee to investigate allegations of the sale and irregular issuance of diplomatic and service passports to unqualified persons.

The caucus says it has obtained approval letters, bank deposit receipts and Mobile Money records which it believes point to an alleged arrangement involving officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Passport Office.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, November 8, Ranking Member on Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee Samuel Abu Jinapor alleged that some applicants were assigned false public office positions to qualify for the special passports, while officials allegedly assisted some of them through the airport to avoid or reduce scrutiny by immigration officers.

“Our purpose is to secure an independent Parliamentary inquiry in which the available material can be examined, witnesses heard and all persons concerned afforded a fair opportunity to respond,” he said.

The Minority alleged that some officials of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Passport Office operated a travel and tour business through which paying customers were assisted to obtain the passports and travel abroad, particularly to Europe.

It identified Ibrahim Wallee as the alleged manager of the operation in Ghana and Bright Yeboah Owusu as his agent in Europe.

According to the caucus, applicants who did not qualify for the passports were allegedly assigned official positions in public institutions, some of which did not exist.

The Minority is asking the proposed committee to investigate all approvals and issuances of diplomatic and service passports from January 7, 2025, to the date the motion is adopted.

It wants the committee to examine passport applications, institutional recommendations, approval letters, issuance and collection records, payment records and relevant communications.

The proposed committee is also expected to hear from the Foreign Affairs Minister, the Ministry's Chief Director, the interdicted Director of Passports, the identified agent, relevant passport and immigration officers, and persons who obtained the passports.

In a separate statement issued on Sunday, November 8, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its preliminary investigations had established that 10 service passports were irregularly issued to persons who did not qualify for them.

The Ministry said the passports, issued to four individuals in 2023 and six in 2026, had been cancelled, while Ghana's international partners had been notified that the documents were no longer valid.

It also announced the interdiction of the Acting Director of Passports, Mahama Yahaya Amantana, and a junior Foreign Service Officer, Alhassan Sumani, who have been referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The Ministry said the investigation followed two petitions, with one petitioner alleging that he paid US$29,000 in 2023 and another claiming to have paid US$5,000 in 2026 to persons involved in the alleged scheme.