Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revoked 10 Service Passports allegedly secured through an illicit arrangement involving a network of individuals operating within the country’s passport administration system, as investigations into the suspected misconduct intensify.
The affected travel documents, which were issued between January 2023 and August 2026, were reportedly obtained by individuals who did not satisfy the statutory and administrative requirements for their acquisition. The Ministry disclosed that preliminary investigations had uncovered evidence suggesting that payments were made to facilitate the improper issuance of the passports.
In a statement released on Sunday, November 8, 2026, the Ministry confirmed that all 10 documents had been cancelled and that Ghana’s international partners had been formally notified of their invalidation to prevent their continued use for international travel. It further indicated that efforts were underway to locate and apprehend the beneficiaries, including two individuals suspected of having travelled outside the country in 2023 using the allegedly irregularly obtained documents.
The investigation was initiated after the Ministry received two formal petitions on October 8, 2026. Subsequently, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa directed the establishment of an investigative committee on October 13 to examine the allegations, identify those responsible and establish the circumstances surrounding the suspected passport irregularities.
Among the officials facing administrative and investigative action are the Acting Director of Passports, Mahama Yahaya Amantana, and a junior Foreign Service Officer, Alhassan Sumani. Both officers have been interdicted and referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigations and possible prosecution.
The Ministry disclosed that Mr Sumani, who entered the Foreign Service on November 29, 2024, featured prominently in all the petitions submitted in connection with the alleged arrangement. He has been identified by the petitioners as the suspected principal organiser of the operation. The allegations further suggest that he previously operated as a so called “goro boy” in 2023, before his subsequent recruitment into the Foreign Service.
The Ministry has also indicated that investigations will extend to retired Ambassador Mohammed Habib Idris, who occupied the position of Director of Passports in 2023, when some of the suspected irregularities reportedly occurred. Security agencies are expected to investigate his possible involvement, with appropriate sanctions to follow should evidence establish culpability.
Meanwhile, the Ministry has rejected suggestions that Ghanaian Diplomatic Passports are being sold, maintaining that the allegations under investigation concern Service Passports and should not be confused with the separate category of travel documents issued for diplomatic purposes.
According to the Ministry, preliminary findings have so far identified allegations of substantial financial payments made to secure the improperly issued Service Passports. One petitioner reportedly claimed to have paid US$29,000 in 2023, while another alleged that US$5,000 was paid in 2026 to facilitate the acquisition of the documents.
The Ministry emphasised that investigations had not produced evidence establishing that Diplomatic Passports were being sold and urged the public to distinguish between Diplomatic Passports and Service Passports when discussing the unfolding controversy.
It further acknowledged that the suspected arrangement was believed to have existed before the assumption of office by the current administration, although it insisted that the historical circumstances surrounding the alleged misconduct would not shield anyone implicated from accountability.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry reiterated its determination to pursue every individual found to have participated in the suspected operation, stressing that neither current nor former officials would be exempted from scrutiny. It also assured the public that the investigative process would adhere to transparency, impartiality and fairness, while those against whom sufficient evidence is established would face the appropriate legal and administrative consequences.
