The Minority Caucus in Parliament has alleged that approximately 300 Ghanaians have travelled to Europe and other international destinations using Diplomatic and Service Passports purportedly acquired through an illicit arrangement involving individuals connected to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Passport Office.
The opposition lawmakers contend that the suspected operation involved a travel and tour enterprise through which applicants allegedly paid substantial sums of money to secure the special travel documents despite not satisfying the legal requirements for their acquisition.
Addressing a press conference in Parliament on Sunday, November 8, 2026, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, disclosed that the Minority had obtained documents which allegedly demonstrated how some applicants were presented as officials of various public institutions to facilitate the processing and approval of their passport applications.
According to Mr Jinapor, individuals who had no legitimate entitlement to the documents were allegedly assigned government positions, official designations and institutional affiliations that they either did not occupy or which did not exist, thereby creating an appearance of eligibility for the special travel documents.
He identified one Ibrahim Wallee as the alleged operator of the travel and tour enterprise in Ghana, while Bright Yeboah Owusu was named as his purported representative in Europe. The Minority maintains that the arrangement enabled customers to obtain Diplomatic and Service Passports through payments rather than the legitimate administrative procedures governing their issuance.
Mr Jinapor further alleged that the suspected operation extended beyond the processing of passport applications, claiming that certain officials assisted beneficiaries at the airport to evade or minimise scrutiny from immigration personnel when travelling internationally.
“Our sources indicate that approximately 300 Ghanaians have travelled to Europe and other destinations using Diplomatic and Service Passports allegedly issued through this arrangement,” he stated.
Describing the allegations as a serious threat to the credibility of Ghana’s official travel documentation and the integrity of public institutions, the Minority announced that it would formally submit a motion on Monday, November 9, seeking the establishment of an Ad Hoc Parliamentary Committee to investigate the matter.
The proposed parliamentary inquiry is expected to independently examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged irregular issuance and commercial distribution of the passports, determine the number of beneficiaries, establish the extent of possible institutional complicity and identify public officials who may have received financial or other benefits from the arrangement.
The Minority is also requesting access to relevant administrative records, including passport applications, approval correspondence, payment documentation and communications that could establish how the suspected transactions were facilitated.
Mr Jinapor explained that the objective was to secure an impartial parliamentary investigation capable of examining the available documentary evidence, inviting relevant witnesses and allowing everyone implicated to respond to the allegations before conclusions are reached.
“Our purpose is to secure an independent parliamentary inquiry in which the available material can be examined, witnesses heard, and all persons concerned afforded a fair opportunity to respond,” he stated.
The Minority’s announcement came just hours after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement addressing a separate but related investigation into alleged irregularities within the passport administration system.
In its communication on Sunday, November 8, the Ministry disclosed that it had cancelled 10 Service Passports suspected of having been acquired through an illegal arrangement involving a network operating within the passport administration structure.
The affected documents were issued between January 2023 and August 2026 to individuals who, according to preliminary investigations, did not satisfy the prescribed conditions for obtaining Service Passports. The Ministry confirmed that Ghana’s international partners had been notified of the cancellations to prevent the continued use of the invalidated documents.
It also disclosed that efforts were underway to locate the beneficiaries, including two individuals suspected of having travelled abroad in 2023 using the allegedly irregularly acquired passports.
The Ministry explained that its investigation followed two petitions received on October 8, 2026, after which Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa instructed the establishment of an investigative committee on October 13 to examine the allegations and establish the circumstances surrounding the suspected misconduct.
As part of the ensuing administrative measures, the Acting Director of Passports, Mahama Yahaya Amantana, and a junior Foreign Service Officer, Alhassan Sumani, have been interdicted and referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigations and possible prosecution.
The Ministry has also indicated that retired Ambassador Mohammed Habib Idris, who served as Director of Passports in 2023 when some of the alleged irregularities occurred, would be subjected to investigations by the relevant security agencies and sanctioned if found culpable.
Although the Ministry’s preliminary investigation has resulted in the cancellation of 10 Service Passports, the Minority’s allegation that approximately 300 Ghanaians travelled using documents obtained through the purported arrangement introduces a significantly broader dimension to the controversy.
The proposed parliamentary investigation could therefore provide an opportunity to establish whether the suspected misconduct was confined to the 10 passports identified by the Ministry or formed part of a wider operation involving additional beneficiaries, intermediaries and public officials.
The two investigations also raise important questions about the distinction between Diplomatic and Service Passports, the institutional procedures governing their issuance, the effectiveness of verification mechanisms and the potential implications for Ghana’s international standing.
The Minority insists that an independent parliamentary inquiry is necessary to establish the full extent of the allegations, while the Foreign Affairs Ministry has pledged to pursue accountability through its ongoing investigations.
However, the allegations against the individuals identified and any other persons who may be implicated remain subject to investigation and verification. The proposed parliamentary inquiry is expected to provide an additional avenue for establishing the facts and ensuring that all parties receive a fair opportunity to address the claims.
