Foreign Affairs Ministry Interdicts Two Officials Over Alleged Service Passport Scheme

ACCRA, GHANA — Ghana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has interdicted two officials following allegations that service passports were issued to ineligible individuals in exchange for payments.

In a statement issued on November 8, the Ministry identified the officials as Mahama Yahaya Amantana, Acting Director of Passports, and Alhassan Sumani, a Foreign Service Officer. Their cases have been referred to the Ghana Police Service for investigation. Interdiction and a police referral do not establish criminal guilt.

The Ministry said petitions had alleged payments of US$29,000 in 2023 and US$5,000 in 2026 connected with improper passport issuance. It said its preliminary inquiry had identified 10 service passports issued irregularly between January 2023 and August 2026 and that the documents had been cancelled.

Officials stressed a distinction between service passports and diplomatic passports. According to the Ministry, the present investigation relates to service passports; it said it had not established evidence of diplomatic passport sales.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa established an investigative committee in October after receiving the first petition. The Ministry said law-enforcement agencies would examine the suspected conduct and pursue accountability where wrongdoing is established.

The case raises wider questions about identity checks, eligibility controls and the handling of official travel documents. The government has pointed to reforms involving electronic tracking, improved passport security and expanded application services.

The officials named in the statement are entitled to due process and an opportunity to respond. GhanaCurrent will report any formal charges, findings or official exonerations separately from the initial allegations.

Primary institutional source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghana, November 8, 2026. https://mfa.gov.gh/