Ghana's service passport scandal, date by date
From a petition on October 8 to a Special Prosecutor probe on November 9: how the alleged sale of service passports came to light, who has said what, and the questions still open. No court has found anyone guilty, and everyone named is presumed innocent.
What we know
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says preliminary findings show that 10 people who did not qualify obtained Service Passports issued between January 2023 and August 2026, after alleged payments to a syndicate inside the passport administration system. GNA reports four were issued in 2023 and six in 2026. All 10 have been cancelled and international partners notified.[1][3]
- Acting Director of Passports Mahama Yahaya Amantana and junior Foreign Service Officer Alhassan Sumani have been interdicted and referred to the police for further investigation and possible prosecution. The Ministry's statement names Sumani in the petitions as the alleged chief architect. GhEcho has seen no report that either man has been charged.[1]
- The Ministry says a retired former Director of Passports, Ambassador Mohammed Habib Idris, who served in 2023, will be investigated by the security services and sanctioned if found culpable.[3]
- The Ministry says its findings concern Service Passports and that, so far, there is no evidence Diplomatic Passports are being sold.[4]
- On November 9 the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) said it had opened an investigation into alleged corruption and corruption-related offences in the scheme.[2]
- The Minority alleges a much wider scheme covering diplomatic passports too, with about 300 travellers. Those claims have not been independently verified, and none of the people the Minority named has been charged, 3News reports.[14]
Timeline
Official Parliament Investigation Claim, not established
-
2023
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Jan–Sep 2024Claim
Disciplinary case against Amantana
According to Ministry Media Relations Officer Fred Duhoe, Mr Amantana faced disciplinary proceedings for contesting a parliamentary seat on the NDC ticket while a civil servant. Duhoe says a committee recommended demotion and the Civil Service Council recommended dismissal, CLOSAG challenged the decision in court in September 2024, and Amantana was never dismissed.[10]
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Nov 29, 2024
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June 2026Claim
Dates on documents the Minority later showed
The Minority's dossier included two GCB Bank deposit receipts dated June 15 and June 24, 2026, mobile money records, and approval letters dated June 1 and three days later that, it alleges, gave the same applicant two different false official titles. These are the Minority's allegations.[5][14]
-
Oct 8, 2026
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Oct 13, 2026Official
Investigative committee set up
Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa directed that an investigative committee be set up, the Ministry says. Asaase News reported a five-member committee chaired by Ambassador Alexander Grant.[1][12] Presidential aide Dr Samuel Ayeh gives a different date, saying it was formed on October 9 and was hearing witnesses by October 13.[9]
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Nov 3, 2026Parliament
Jinapor ejected from Parliament
Damongo MP Samuel Abu Jinapor alleged in the House that diplomatic passports were being sold for between US$10,000 and US$50,000. Speaker Alban Bagbin had him escorted out and the Minority walked out. No investigation has established that claim.[12][13] GNA reports the NPP youth wing marched in Accra five days before the Ministry's November 8 statement, demanding Mr Ablakwa's removal.[3]
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Nov 6, 2026Parliament
Director's interdiction reported, then confirmed
Asaase News reported that the Director of Passports had been interdicted. Later that Friday, Majority Leader Agalga told Parliament the director had been interdicted so investigators could work, and said Mr Ablakwa was willing to brief the Foreign Affairs Committee.[12][13]
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Nov 8, 2026Official
Ministry cancels 10 passports; Minority shows dossier
The Ministry's statement announced the cancellations, the two interdictions and the police referral. Hours later the Minority held a press conference alleging about 300 people had travelled on bought passports, and said it would file a motion on November 9 for an ad hoc parliamentary committee.[1][5][6]
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Nov 9, 2026Claim
Ministry spokesperson alleges forgery
Fred Duhoe said in a Facebook post that Sumani and a man he called Walle forged the Chief Director's signature and sent documents straight to the Acting Director of Passports. “Those documents never emanated from the Ministry,” he wrote. He said the Minister interdicted Sumani on the day the petition came in.[10]
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Nov 9, 2026Claim
Majority and NPP trade blame
Majority MP Cletus Dapilah alleged the previous government recruited Sumani on November 29 as it left office, said the Chief Director's signature was false, and rejected the call for an ad hoc committee. The NPP's Dennis Miracles Aboagye alleged Mr Ablakwa knew of the scheme, but MyJoyOnline says he gave no further details to back the claim. Neither side's claims have been established.[7][11][8]
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Nov 9, 2026Investigation
Special Prosecutor opens investigation
The OSP said it will “establish the roles of those involved, trace the alleged payments, examine the approval and issuance processes” and decide whether offences were committed.[2]
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Nov 9, 2026Claim
Presidential aide: suspect 'Wale' confessed
Dr Samuel Ayeh told JoyNews' The Pulse that a suspect he called Wale admitted to the committee that the former Chief Director's signature was forged, that there is an audio recording, and that the report will be published next week. MyJoyOnline notes the confession claim remains subject to verification.[9]
Who said what
Preliminary findings confirm 10 unqualified people got Service Passports; there is “so far” no evidence of diplomatic passport sales; everyone implicated will be held accountable.[1][4]
“The illegal service passports were issued after documents were forged and established procedures and protocols were bypassed.”[10]
“Whosoever is found culpable of any wrongdoing will not be shelved. So there is no cause for alarm.”[13]
Alleges the previous government recruited Sumani as it left office and that the Chief Director's signature was false. Opposes a parliamentary ad hoc committee.[7][11]
“As at now, our sources indicate that some 300 Ghanaians have travelled to Europe and other destinations using diplomatic and service passports allegedly issued through this arrangement.”[14]
“The Minister who is supervising this fraud cannot be the one showing us reports of a committee he has established.” An allegation he did not substantiate, MyJoyOnline reports.[8]
Says suspect ‘Wale’ confessed on audio and the committee report is due next week. Not yet verified.[9]
Will disclose more “where appropriate and without compromising the investigation”.[2]
Unanswered questions
- Who received the alleged US$29,000 and US$5,000 payments, and where did the money go? The OSP says tracing them is part of its work.
- If, as Mr Duhoe says, the forged documents never came from the Ministry, how did they pass through to the Passport Office and get approved?
- Was the committee formed on October 9 or October 13, and on what date was each officer interdicted? Official accounts differ.
- Is the ‘Wale’ or ‘Walle’ named by Dr Ayeh and Mr Duhoe the same person the Minority says ran the operation in Ghana? Has anyone been arrested?
- Is the scheme limited to the 10 Service Passports, or is there evidence for the Minority's claim of about 300 travellers and diplomatic passports?
- What will happen to the 10 holders, including the two the Ministry says travelled abroad in 2023?
- Will the committee's report and the audio Dr Ayeh describes be made public in full?