Former Ghanaian Ambassador to the United States, Hajia Alima Mahama, has been named in a forensic audit into alleged financial irregularities at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, DC, involving an estimated $19.3 million in unauthorised fees collected from passport and visa applicants.
The audit covers transactions spanning 2019 to 2025, a period that includes the latter years of the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
According to the findings, millions of dollars were allegedly generated through fees that had not been approved by the Ghanaian government, with applicants directed to external online platforms while processing their passport and visa applications.
The development has placed renewed scrutiny on the management of the embassy during the Akufo-Addo administration, particularly the role of the then Ambassador, Alima Mahama.
The forensic audit reportedly found irregularities involving dispatch and mailing charges, application support services, additional merchant fees and transactions involving Fred Kwarteng and STEFRANN LLC.
One of the major issues identified was a return postage charge of $29.75 imposed on applicants, despite the actual mailing cost being approximately $10.10.
The audit indicated that the arrangement generated more than $4 million in unauthorised mailing revenue.
Applicants were also allegedly required to pay additional application support fees of $67 for passport applications and $76.78 for visa applications through external platforms.
The audit said these services were presented to applicants as necessary for completing their applications even though the charges were not part of the officially approved government fees.
Alima Mahama named in audit
The former ambassador’s name features prominently in the audit over a contract she signed relating to the outsourcing of passport and visa dispatch services.
According to the report, Alima Mahama signed a General Contract for Services between the Embassy and Travel Ghana/Secure Data Centre.
The audit said the arrangement formalised the outsourcing of passport and visa dispatch functions to a related party while unauthorised fees were being charged to applicants.
The finding has raised questions about the level of supervision exercised by the former ambassador during the period the arrangement was in operation.
The audit reportedly identified supervisory concerns and linked the contract signed by Alima Mahama to the outsourcing structure through which some of the disputed charges were collected.
Fred Kwarteng identified in alleged scheme
The forensic investigation also named Fred Kwarteng, an IT Officer at the embassy, as a central figure in the operation of the external platforms used in the application process.
The report identified transactions involving Kwarteng and STEFRANN LLC between 2019 and 2020, alongside other irregular transactions recorded between 2019 and 2025.
According to the audit, an unauthorised link embedded on the embassy’s official website redirected applicants to external platforms where additional payments were made.
The investigation is expected to determine how the money collected through the various channels was ultimately handled and whether individuals connected to the embassy benefited from the arrangement.
$19.3m financial impact
The total financial impact of the alleged irregularities has been estimated at approximately $19.3 million.
The figure reportedly encompasses more than $4 million in unauthorised dispatch and mailing charges, unapproved application support service fees, additional merchant fees for online payments and transactions involving Fred Kwarteng and STEFRANN LLC.
The findings have intensified concerns about financial controls at Ghana’s diplomatic missions and the oversight mechanisms in place during the period under review.
EOCO takes interest in case
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has taken up the matter as investigations into the alleged financial irregularities continue.
The development follows the decision by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, with the backing of President John Dramani Mahama, to order the temporary closure of the Washington embassy on May 28, 2025, amid concerns over alleged irregularities.
A forensic audit was subsequently commissioned to establish the extent of the financial issues and identify persons who may have played roles in the alleged scheme.
The investigation has now brought renewed attention to decisions taken at the embassy during the Akufo-Addo administration.
While the audit has raised serious questions about the conduct and oversight of officials, any criminal liability will ultimately have to be established through due process and further investigations by the appropriate authorities.
The case also puts pressure on EOCO and other investigative bodies to establish how the alleged scheme operated for several years, who benefited from the proceeds and whether any public funds can be recovered.
For many applicants who paid the disputed charges while seeking Ghanaian passports and visas in the United States, the investigation could provide answers about where their money went and why fees outside the officially approved charges were allegedly imposed.
The outcome of the EOCO investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings will therefore be closely watched as authorities seek to determine responsibility for the alleged $19.3 million Washington embassy financial irregularities.
