Amanze Chinonye
Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has backed an investigation by The Fourth Estate into alleged illegal charges in the processing of attestation documents and said a man implicated in the report had been sanctioned and referred to law enforcement, Prime Business Africa reports.
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The ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the man was not a member of its staff but had been sanctioned by his respective institution and reported for further investigation and possible prosecution. He has also been barred from entering the ministry’s premises.
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Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said on X that the ministry had “zero tolerance” for unscrupulous middlemen involved in the attestation process.
The Fourth Estate reported on Sept. 2 that applicants seeking document attestation and validation, required for some visa applications, were being charged as much as 1,200 Ghanaian cedis ($108), despite an approved fee of 200 cedis. The investigation found that unofficial intermediaries were offering to facilitate or expedite applications for additional payments.
In one case cited by the outlet, an undercover reporter was charged 900 cedis by a man identified as Michael Gomeh, while the documents were later accompanied by an official receipt showing a payment of 265 cedis. The ministry said Gomeh was not its employee.
The ministry said its attestation process involves several government institutions and that efforts had been underway for months to strengthen coordination and integrity across them. It said a stakeholder meeting in August included the Judicial Service, Ghana Police Service, Births and Deaths Registry, Office of the Registrar of Companies and Accra Metropolitan Assembly.
The ministry said it was also pursuing reforms with partner institutions to make payments cashless and move the attestation process onto a digital platform, reducing human interaction.
It said the reforms were expected to produce improvements similar to those achieved through Ghana’s passport administration system.
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The ministry said the approved fee for attestation remains 200 cedis, payable to officials of the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, who issue official receipts. It warned the public against using middlemen or third-party facilitators, saying such payments were illegal.
In an earlier response to The Fourth Estate, the ministry said payments to unauthorised intermediaries were neither sanctioned nor recognised by it and that it had received complaints about excessive charges.
The ministry urged anyone with information, enquiries or complaints about the attestation process to contact it through its designated telephone lines or email address.
The investigation has placed renewed scrutiny on controls surrounding government document-processing services, while the ministry’s planned digital reforms are intended to reduce opportunities for unofficial payments and limit direct interaction between applicants and intermediaries.
Amanze Chinonye is a Staff Correspondent at Prime Business Africa, a rising star in the literary world, weaving captivating stories that transport readers to the vibrant landscapes of Nigeria and the rest of Africa. With a unique voice that blends with the newspaper's tradition and style, Chinonye's writing is a masterful exploration of the human condition, delving into themes of identity, culture, and social justice. Through her words, Chinonye paints vivid portraits of everyday African life, from the bustling markets of Nigeria's Lagos to the quiet villages of South Africa's countryside . With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the complexities of Nigerian society, Chinonye's writing is both a testament to the country's rich cultural heritage and a powerful call to action for a brighter future. As a writer, Chinonye is a true storyteller, using her dexterity to educate, inspire, and uplift readers around the world.
