Ghana Cancels 10 Illegally Issued Service Passports; Two Officials Interdicted as US$29,000 Bribery Allegations Rock Foreign Ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revoked 10 Service Passports obtained through an alleged syndicate operating inside the passport administration system, interdicted two officials, and ordered an investigation into a former Director of Passports, in a scandal involving claims of payments as high as US$29,000.

The affected documents were issued between January 2023 and August 2026 to individuals who, according to preliminary findings, did not qualify for Service Passports. The Ministry announced on Sunday, November 8, that all 10 passports have been cancelled and international partners notified to prevent their further use.

How the Scheme Unravelled

The investigation was triggered by two petitions received on October 8, 2026. According to the Ministry, one petitioner claimed to have paid US5,000 was paid to members of the network. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa directed the establishment of an investigative committee on October 13.

The Officials Implicated

Two officials have been interdicted and referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigation and possible prosecution: Mahama Yahaya Amantana, the Acting Director of Passports, and Alhassan Sumani, a junior Foreign Service Officer.

Sumani is described in the petitions as the alleged mastermind of the operation. The Ministry disclosed that he had allegedly operated as a middleman — popularly known in Ghana as a "goro boy" — in 2023 before formally joining the Foreign Service on November 29, 2024. The timeline suggests he was facilitating irregular passport issuance before becoming an official within the system he later allegedly exploited.

Former Passport Director Under Scrutiny

Retired Ambassador Mohammed Habib Idris, who served as Director of Passports in 2023 when some of the irregularities occurred, will be investigated by the security services and sanctioned if found culpable, the Ministry said.

Beneficiaries Being Pursued

The Ministry confirmed that efforts are underway to track down the beneficiaries, including two individuals who allegedly travelled abroad using the illegally acquired documents in 2023.

Diplomatic Passports Not Affected

Seeking to contain the scope of the scandal, the Ministry emphasised that the investigation concerns Service Passports and not Diplomatic Passports. "For the avoidance of doubt, the matters under investigations are about Service Passports and not Diplomatic Passports," the statement read.

The clarification comes amid separate allegations raised in Parliament earlier this month by Damongo MP Samuel Abu Jinapor, who claimed that diplomatic passports were being sold for between US50,000. No investigation has substantiated that claim, and the Ministry insists no evidence has emerged suggesting diplomatic passports were sold.

Passport Issuance Figures Released

The Ministry provided comparative figures for both categories of passports across three periods. For Service Passports: 1,397 were issued between 2009 and 2016; 3,174 between 2017 and 2024; and 754 from 2025 to date. For Diplomatic Passports: 2,899 between 2009 and 2016; 5,682 between 2017 and 2024; and 1,944 since 2025.

Parliamentary Pressure Mounts

The scandal has drawn parliamentary attention. Majority Leader James Agalga told Parliament on Friday that the Director of Passports had been interdicted to allow investigations to proceed without interference, assuring lawmakers that "whosoever is found culpable of any wrongdoing will not be shelved." Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin had called for Foreign Minister Ablakwa to brief the Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The Ministry maintained that the alleged scheme predated the current administration but pledged that all those involved would face the full consequences of their actions. It also reiterated its commitment to strengthening passport administration and ensuring transparency and security across all categories of Ghanaian travel documents.