General News of 2026-11-06
Director of Passport Yahaya Amantana Mahama interdicted - Report
The Director of Passports, Yahaya Amantana Mahama, has reportedly been interdicted pending investigations into alleged irregularities surrounding the acquisition of a service passport.
Asaase News gathers that the interdiction follows a petition by a prominent Ghanaian pastor and his wife, whose identities have been withheld, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the acquisition of a service passport and related matters.
A five-member committee chaired by Ambassador Alexander Grant was constituted on 13 October 2026 to investigate the matter.
The committee is expected to submit its findings to the sector Minister by the close of this week, barring any last-minute changes.
Ambassador Francis Danti Kotia has reportedly been appointed to act as Director of Passport pending the outcome of the investigations.
The latest development follows a heated exchange in Parliament on Tuesday, 3 November, when Damongo MP Samuel Abu Jinapor sought to raise allegations of an alleged racket involving Ghanaian diplomatic passports.
The MP told the House that he had evidence suggesting diplomatic passports were being sold for between US$10,000 and US$50,000.
“As we speak today, there is evidence, unimpeachable evidence, that today diplomatic passports are being sold, Mr Speaker,” he told Parliament.
Majority Leader James Agalga objected to the allegation, arguing that it amounted to an accusation of criminal conduct that required supporting evidence.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin subsequently directed Jinapor to withdraw the claim or provide evidence.
The exchanges escalated, resulting in Jinapor being escorted out of the chamber by parliamentary marshals, while the Minority Caucus staged a walkout in protest.
The allegation of the sale of diplomatic passports has not been established by any investigation or court.
Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus has indicated its intention to present evidence to support its allegations of irregularities in the issuance of Ghanaian diplomatic passports.
At a parliamentary press conference on Wednesday, 4 November, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the Foreign Affairs Caucus had obtained material suggesting that some travel documents were allegedly secured through false representations and impersonation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said the material would be made available for public scrutiny to allow its authenticity to be independently assessed and those implicated to respond.
“A diplomatic passport carries the authority and reputation of the Republic. Any credible indication that it is being obtained through false representations demands scrutiny of the highest seriousness,” Afenyo-Markin said.
He called for a parliamentary investigation under Article 103 of the 1992 Constitution, insisting that the allegations should be subjected to proper scrutiny.
“Let a mighty Minority make its case and let the evidence be examined and let the minister be heard. Let Parliament perform its duty and let the people decide,” he said.
The Minority’s position follows its walkout after the Speaker’s decision to remove Jinapor from the chamber.
Afenyo-Markin has maintained that Jinapor withdrew his remarks after being directed to do so by the Speaker, arguing that the subsequent decision to order him out was disproportionate.
The Majority has rejected the Minority’s characterisation of the matter.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Wednesday night, Agalga reiterated that the allegations brought to the Ministry’s attention concerned service passports and not diplomatic passports.
Separately, an NPP petition dated 30 October to the United States Embassy in Accra raised related allegations, claiming that six people obtained service passport approvals using inaccurate official job descriptions.
