Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
The Minority in Parliament has demanded an independent parliamentary investigation into the alleged sale and irregular issuance of Ghanaian diplomatic and service passports to individuals who reportedly used false identities and public service designations to obtain the travel documents.
The Minority claims that official approval letters, passport records and payment documents in its possession reveal a scheme through which individuals who were not employees of designated public institutions secured passports reserved for qualified public officials.
Addressing a press conference, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, presented documents which he said raised serious questions about the verification and approval processes at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Speaking on behalf of the Minority leadership, Mr Jinapor alleged that the irregularities could undermine the credibility of Ghanaian passports and expose the country to heightened scrutiny by international immigration authorities.
The Minority is consequently seeking the establishment of an ad hoc parliamentary committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the passports and identify the officials and intermediaries allegedly involved.
Fake Official Positions
The Minority presented five approval letters dated between June 1 and August 7, 2026, purportedly issued in the name of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The letters reportedly authorised passports for individuals presented as officials of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, Akrofuom District Assembly, Ghana TVET Service, Fisheries Commission and National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
According to the Minority, preliminary checks revealed that some beneficiaries did not work at the institutions cited in their applications, while certain official positions used to justify the approvals did not exist.
It cited the case of Mr Amoh Boadi, who was reportedly described in a June 1 approval letter as Deputy Director of Audit Services at the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council.
However, another letter dated June 4 allegedly identified the same individual as Deputy District Coordinating Director of the Akrofuom District Assembly.
The Minority questioned how one individual could have been presented as holding senior positions in two different public institutions within three days.
It also referred to applications purportedly originating from NADMO in which applicants were described as “Director Hydro” and “Director Geologicals”, designations the Minority maintained were not recognised positions within the organisation.
300 Allegedly Travelled on Passports
The Minority further alleged that approximately 300 Ghanaians had travelled to Europe and other destinations using diplomatic and service passports obtained through an intermediary.
Mr Jinapor claimed that some beneficiaries might otherwise have encountered difficulties obtaining visas for their intended destinations.
He also alleged that certain Foreign Affairs Ministry personnel facilitated the passage of passport holders through airport procedures to minimise scrutiny by immigration officials.
According to the Minority, some applicants made payments to an alleged intermediary, Bright Yeboah Owusu, for passports and associated travel arrangements.
It said GCB Bank deposit slips and mobile money transaction records formed part of the evidence presented to support the allegations.
The Minority claimed that while some applicants received the promised services, others were left stranded after allegedly losing contact with the intermediary.
These claims have not been independently established, and the Minority has called for a formal investigation to determine their accuracy.
Minority Rejects Internal Investigation
The Minority questioned the adequacy of the Ministry’s internal investigation, arguing that an inquiry conducted within the institution could not sufficiently address allegations potentially involving its own officials.
It cited a committee established on October 13, 2026, under the chairmanship of Ambassador Alexander Grant Ntrakwa.
Mr Jinapor maintained that Parliament must independently examine how applications containing allegedly false institutional affiliations were verified and approved.
The Minority intends to file a substantive parliamentary motion seeking the establishment of an ad hoc committee to investigate the matter.
The proposed committee would be tasked with establishing the number of passports irregularly issued, identifying beneficiaries, determining how many travelled on the documents and examining the roles of public officials and private intermediaries.
The Minority also wants the Foreign Affairs Minister, the Chief Director, the interdicted Director of Passports and the alleged intermediary to appear before the committee.
Ministry Confirms Irregular Issuance
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that preliminary investigations uncovered the irregular issuance of service passports to individuals who did not qualify for them.
In a statement dated November 8, 2026, the Ministry disclosed that it had received two petitions concerning an alleged illegal service passport issuance scheme operating since 2023.
According to the Ministry, one petitioner claimed to have paid US$29,000, while another alleged paying US$5,000 to individuals involved in the scheme.
The Ministry said the first petition was received on October 8, prompting the establishment of an investigative committee on October 13.
It subsequently interdicted the Acting Director of Passports, Mahama Yahaya Amantana, and a junior Foreign Service Officer, Alhassan Sumani.
The Ministry identified Mr Sumani as an individual named in the petitions as a principal figure in the alleged scheme, stating that he had reportedly operated as a passport intermediary in 2023 before joining the Foreign Service in November 2024.
Both officers have been referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigations and possible prosecution.
The allegations against the officers remain subject to investigation.
Ten Service Passports Identified
The Ministry disclosed that its preliminary findings had identified 10 service passports issued between January 2023 and August 2026 to individuals who allegedly did not qualify for them.
Four of the passports were issued in 2023, while the remaining six were issued in 2026.
The Ministry said all the identified passports had been cancelled and international partners notified to prevent their further use.
It added that the passport holders, including two individuals who reportedly travelled using the documents in 2023, were being pursued.
The Ministry further indicated that the former Director of Passports responsible for the 2023 period, retired Ambassador Mohammed Habib Idris, would also be investigated to establish whether he bore any responsibility.
No Evidence of Diplomatic Passport Sales — Ministry
Responding to concerns about the alleged sale of diplomatic passports, the Ministry maintained that its investigations had so far established irregularities involving service passports only.
“So far, no evidence has emerged that Ghana’s Diplomatic Passports are being sold,” the statement said.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the matters under investigations are about Service Passports and not Diplomatic Passports,” it added.
The Ministry consequently distinguished its confirmed preliminary findings from the wider allegations involving both categories of passports.
It also released official passport issuance figures, indicating that 1,397 service passports were issued between 2009 and 2016, compared with 3,174 between 2017 and 2024.
According to the Ministry, 754 service passports have been issued since January 2025.
For diplomatic passports, the figures stood at 2,899 between 2009 and 2016, 5,682 between 2017 and 2024, and 1,944 since January 2025.
The Ministry pledged to pursue those responsible for the irregularities and maintain transparency throughout the investigations.
It also defended recent passport administration reforms, including enhanced security measures, expanded application centres and reduced application fees.
However, the Minority maintains that the seriousness of the allegations requires parliamentary scrutiny beyond the Ministry’s internal processes.
The proposed parliamentary investigation would therefore seek to establish the full extent of the alleged scheme, determine whether official approval procedures were compromised and recommend measures to safeguard the integrity of Ghana’s diplomatic and service passports.
