Govt working with U.S. to freeze accounts of Embassy fraud suspect – Ablakwa

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed that the Ghanaian government is working closely with U.S. authorities to freeze the bank accounts of Fredrick Kwarteng, the main suspect in a major passport and visa fraud scandal at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Mr. Ablakwa emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring that Kwarteng and anyone else involved in the scheme face legal consequences. He explained that freezing the suspect’s accounts is part of wider efforts to enforce accountability and fully uncover the extent of the fraudulent activities.

The embassy was temporarily closed on May 26 after it was discovered that there had been serious abuse of office and fraudulent practices. An audit uncovered that Kwarteng, who was hired as a local IT staff member in 2017, had secretly set up a fake link on the embassy’s website. This link redirected people applying for visas and passports to his personal company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), where they were illegally charged between $29.75 and $60.

Ablakwa, who also represents the North Tongu constituency in Parliament, announced that several measures have been put in place to investigate the issue further. He said an internal investigative committee has been set up to review the conduct of all locally recruited staff. Additionally, the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has been officially informed and tasked with tracking down Kwarteng, gathering evidence, and facilitating his extradition to Ghana for prosecution.