Accra, Nov. 8, GNA – The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority Caucus in Parliament has alleged that some officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Passport Office facilitated the issuance of Diplomatic and Service Passports to persons who were not eligible for them.
Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, made the allegation at a media briefing at Parliament House on Sunday.
He alleged that about 300 Ghanaians had travelled to Europe and other destinations using the passports, which he claimed were obtained through a travel and tour arrangement.
Mr Jinapor also alleged that applicants were assigned government positions and official designations they did not hold to qualify for the documents, with some of the purported positions allegedly non-existent.
He said the passports were marketed as a means of travelling to certain countries without visas and alleged that some Ministry personnel assisted travellers at the airport to evade scrutiny by Immigration officers.
Mr Jinapor, who is also the NPP Member of Parliament for Damongo, identified two individuals as the manager of the operation in Ghana and his alleged agent in Europe.
He called for investigations into the allegations.
In a separate statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the cancellation of 10 Service Passports allegedly issued unlawfully to individuals who did not qualify for them.
The Ministry said the cancellations followed preliminary investigations into an alleged passport-for-sale scheme, which it said had been operating since 2023 through payments to a suspected syndicate within the passport administration system.
It also announced the interdiction of two officials, including the Acting Director of Passports, Mr Mahama Yahaya Amantana.
A junior Foreign Service Officer, Mr Alhassan Sumani, whom the Ministry identified in petitions as the alleged chief architect of the scheme, had also been interdicted.
The Ministry said the two officials had been referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigations and possible prosecution.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth
Acquah Sackey
Reporter: Elsie Appiah-Osei,
Email: [email protected]