Forensic audit implicates Alima Mahama and others in $19.3 million US Embassy scandal

A forensic report commissioned by the minister has been completed, detailing how a local staff member, Fred Kwarteng, an Information Technology Officer, allegedly orchestrated a scheme. This involved altering the embassy's website to redirect applicants to privately controlled platforms, where unapproved fees were collected for consular services, including visa and passport processing. Applicants were charged $29.75 for return postage, with the actual cost averaging $10.10, and additional application support service fees of $67 for passport applications and $76.78 for visa applications.

The report indicates that these services were presented as necessary despite not being officially approved government charges. The scheme allegedly operated from 2019 to 2025, with Fred Kwarteng identified as the mastermind, creating and operating external platforms like TravelGhana.Net and GhanaPV.org. The report also implicated senior officials, including Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Hajia Alima Mahama, who served from 2021 to 2024.

According to the report, Alima Mahama approved a contract formalizing the outsourcing of dispatch services to entities linked to the system, and during her tenure, the Mission faced scrutiny over banking compliance, expo