Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., is officially reopening today, Thursday, May 29, after months of closure triggered by a major IT security breach and internal corruption allegations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration announced that the embassy will resume full consular services. A new team of diplomats has been deployed to ensure service integrity and restore public confidence.
The closure followed reports that a locally hired IT staff member created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website. This link redirected visa and passport applicants to a private company, where they were charged unapproved fees. The fraudulent operation allegedly continued for years without detection.
In response, all home-based staff were recalled, and local staff were suspended pending further investigations.
To strengthen the mission’s cybersecurity, the Ministry sent an IT team to reconfigure the website and payment systems, removing all unauthorized third-party links.
A new leadership team, headed by a senior officer from the Ministry, is now overseeing operations. Their mandate includes implementing structural reforms, addressing backlogs, and rebuilding trust in the embassy’s services.
The Ministry has referred the case to the Auditor-General and the Attorney-General for further review and possible sanctions.
Finally, officials expressed regret over the disruption and assured the public that steps have been taken to improve service delivery going forward.
