Foreign Affairs Ministry Exposes Illegal Service Passport Sale Scheme

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has exposed an irregular Service Passport issuance scheme which had been operating illegally since 2023, leading to the interdiction of two officers and the cancellation of ten Service Passports issued to unqualified persons.

In a statement on passport administration in Ghana issued in Accra on 8th November 2026, the Ministry said it had received two petitions pointing to the scheme.

The 2023 petitioner claimed he paid US$29,000.00 while the 2026 petitioner stated that he paid US$5,000.00 to those involved in the criminal cartel.

On the instructions of the Minister, a committee was promptly set up on October 13, 2026 after the first petition was received on October 8, 2026 to investigate the matter.

The Acting Director of Passports, Mr Mahama Yahaya Amantana, has since been interdicted.

A junior Foreign Service Officer, Alhassan Sumani (FSO A5), has been named in all the petitions as the chief architect and one who operated as a “goro boy” in 2023 before he was recruited into the Foreign Service on November 29, 2024.

He has also been interdicted and referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigations and possible prosecution, together with Mr Yahaya.

Findings
The Ministry’s preliminary findings have confirmed that persons who did not qualify to be issued with Service Passports were issued the following Service Passports since 2023 after allegedly making illegal payments to a syndicate: Richard Sakyi Apenteng, Service Passport number SX004034, issued on January 3, 2023; Augustina Agyei Boateng, Service Passport number SX004032, issued on January 3, 2023; Juliet Amankwa, Service Passport number SX004086, issued on January 31, 2023; Rebecca Agyeiwaa, Service Passport number SX004089, issued on February 2, 2023; Prince Ahensah, Service Passport number SX0604674, issued on 28th May 2026; Maybel Ahensah, Service Passport number SX0604687, issued on 28th May 2026; Twumasi Francis Kwame, Service Passport number SX0605905, issued on 11th August 2026; Gyabaah Anthony, Service Passport number SX0605895, issued on 11th August 2026; Frederick Ennin, Service Passport number SX0605918, issued on 11th August 2026; and Bosompem Richard, Service Passport number SX0605921, issued on 11th August 2026.

The Ministry assures that all the Service Passports listed above, which were illegally issued since 2023, have been cancelled and therefore cannot be used.

Meanwhile, it said international partners have been duly notified.

The owners of the passports, including two who successfully used the illegally acquired Service Passports to travel in 2023, are being vigorously pursued.

“In the interest of fairness, impartiality and non-discrimination, the Director of Passports for the 2023 period in issue, Ambassador Mohammed Habib Idris, who is now retired, would also be investigated by the security services and sanctioned if found culpable, just like his counterpart, Mr Mahama Yahaya Amantana.”

Previous Administration
The Ministry said it was apparent that the Service Passport for Sale Scheme was a sophisticated operation which predated the current administration, but it was glad that the masterminds have finally been exposed and rounded up due to heightened diligence and zero tolerance for corruption.

The Ministry said it ought to be commended for not playing ostrich or engaging in a cover-up even long before aspects of the matter came into the public domain.

It noted that every society has bad nuts and criminally-minded characters who try to have their way, but the real test is the ability of leadership to courageously and promptly rise to the occasion with integrity to defeat such criminal networks.

Diplomatic Passport Issue
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to state for the record that so far, no evidence has emerged that Ghana’s Diplomatic Passports are being sold.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the matters under investigation are about Service Passports and not Diplomatic Passports.”

Stat
The Ministry noted that between 2009 and 2016, a total of 1,397 Service Passports were issued; a total of 3,174 Service Passports were issued from 2017 to 2024; and a total of 754 Service Passports have been issued from 2025 to date.

For Diplomatic Passports, official data confirms that between 2009 and 2016, a total of 2,899 Diplomatic Passports were issued; a total of 5,682 were issued from 2017 to 2024; and a total of 1,944 have been issued from 2025 to date.

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