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Kwasi Kwarteng Esq., a member of the NPP Communications Team, has suggested that the recent closure of Ghana’s embassy in Washington, D.C., may be a strategic move by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to replace embassy staff with politically aligned individuals.
Speaking on GHOne TV, Kwarteng expressed suspicion over the minister’s decision to recall all embassy staff and temporarily shut down the mission. “We know the political realities we face. Next minute, they’ll be filling the place with people they believe are aligned with their party,” he said.
Kwarteng questioned the necessity of a full closure, suggesting alternative measures such as the suspension of the individual responsible for the fraud. “We need more information about what really happened, but the response shouldn’t have been a full shutdown,” he argued.
He further warned against using the scandal as an opportunity for political patronage. “Ablakwa must not use this opportunity to take people’s jobs and fix his own people in there,” he added.
Background
The embassy was temporarily closed following the discovery of a fraudulent scheme involving Fred Kwarteng, a local IT staffer who diverted visa and passport applicants through a private website and charged unauthorized fees. The scheme is believed to have been running since 2017.
All Foreign Ministry staff were recalled to Accra, and a forensic audit is underway. Minister Ablakwa defended the closure as a necessary step toward transparency, accountability, and restructuring.
