Auditor-General Uncovers $19.4m Irregular Fees At Ghana Embassy In Washington
A forensic audit by Ghana’s Auditor-General has uncovered about US$19.4 million in irregular financial transactions linked to consular services at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., between 2019 and 2025.
The findings indicate that thousands of visa and passport applicants were redirected from the embassy’s official application channels to external platforms, where they were charged additional fees for services including application support and the return of passports and visas.
The revelations follow investigations into the operations of the embassy, which was temporarily closed in 2025 after concerns were raised over delays, missing documents and irregularities in its fee structures.
According to the Auditor-General’s forensic audit, Ghana’s consular services are ordinarily processed through approved government platforms, including the Electronic Consular Information Management System (eCIMS) and AppTrack.
These systems are intended to ensure that applications are properly recorded and statutory fees are collected through authorised channels.
However, the audit found that this process was altered through the use of external websites and platforms that imposed additional charges on applicants.
One of the major areas of concern was the collection of passport and visa dispatch fees.
Applicants were reportedly required to pay US$29.75 for the return of their documents, although the estimated average postage cost was about US$10.10.
The audit established that more than 170,000 visa mailing transactions, together with thousands of passport dispatches, were processed during the period under review.
Records showed that applicants paid approximately US$6.95 million in mailing and dispatch fees.
After the estimated actual postage cost of US$2.36 million was deducted, the excess amounted to about US$4.59 million.
The audit further noted that the embassy discontinued the use of self-addressed return envelopes in 2023, leaving applicants with no alternative means of arranging the return of their documents.
The audit also identified additional charges imposed through external platforms to which applicants were redirected.
Passport applicants were reportedly charged US$67 for application support services, while visa applicants paid US$76.78.
According to the report, these services were presented as necessary for completing applications despite not forming part of the officially approved government charges.
The audit also identified additional merchant fees associated with the use of the Square payment platform, despite the absence of a formal contract governing its use.
Using data from eCIMS and AppTrack, the Auditor-General calculated transactions totalling approximately US$21.34 million connected to the activities under investigation.
After accounting for estimated actual costs of about US$2.36 million, approximately US$19.37 million was classified as irregular.
The financial irregularities were accompanied by operational challenges at the mission.
Between June and August 2025, the embassy reportedly accumulated a backlog of 12,721 visa and passport applications.
Only 4,507 applications were mailed during the period, while 8,214 were either collected personally by applicants or remained undelivered.
The audit said the situation contributed to delays and complaints and raised concerns about whether mailing fees collected from applicants were being used for their intended purpose.
The embassy subsequently incurred an additional cost of about US$45,000 to post letters and clear part of the backlog, despite applicants having already paid for document delivery.
The report further identified Fred Kwarteng, an Information Technology Officer at the embassy, as having created and operated external platforms allegedly used in the application process.
Among the platforms identified were TravelGhana.Net and GhanaPV.org, together with associated entities including Ghana Travel Consult, Secure Data Centre LLC, Travel Global and MFG Technology.
The Auditor-General’s findings raise questions about the management of consular revenues, the use of privately controlled platforms in government service delivery and the oversight mechanisms at Ghana’s diplomatic missions.
-Overseeronline.com
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