An investigation by The Fourth Estate has uncovered alleged illegal charges being imposed on applicants seeking document attestation and validation services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The investigation found that some applicants were allegedly being directed to unofficial intermediaries within the Ministry’s premises, who charged fees far above the officially approved rate for facilitating the attestation process.
In an undercover operation, The Fourth Estate encountered a man identified as Michael Gomeh, who allegedly charged an undercover journalist GHS900 to facilitate the attestation of documents required for a visa application.
Although Gomeh charged GHS900, the official receipt subsequently issued for the transaction showed a payment of GHS265.
The Ministry, however, told The Fourth Estate that the approved fee for attestation and validation was GHS200 under the Fees and Charges Regulations, 2025.
The investigation further found that applicants arriving at the Ministry were allegedly being redirected by reception staff to men in suits who offered to facilitate the process, often for substantially higher fees.
According to The Fourth Estate, the undercover applicant was directed by a receptionist to Gomeh, who was wearing what appeared to be a staff identification tag.
The documents were subsequently returned within a week with official endorsements from the Ministry.
The investigation also raised questions about how unofficial intermediaries were able to operate within the Ministry’s premises and facilitate the processing of documents while collecting payments that were not reflected in the official receipts.
Ministry distances itself from payments
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has distanced itself from the alleged unofficial charges, stating that payments made to unauthorised persons, intermediaries, facilitators or third parties were neither sanctioned nor recognised by the Ministry.
In a May 12, 2026 response to The Fourth Estate, the Ministry acknowledged receiving complaints about excessive charges and said preliminary investigations indicated that some incidents involved third parties. It said measures had been introduced, including publishing approved fees, issuing official receipts and providing channels for reporting suspected misconduct.
The Ministry also clarified that Michael Gomeh is not an employee of the Ministry, although The Fourth Estate reported that its engagement with the Ministry established that he was a staff member seconded from the National Security.
The Ministry further explained that its role in the attestation process is limited to verifying the authenticity of seals and signatures previously authenticated by the Judicial Service.
The findings have nevertheless raised concerns about possible weaknesses in supervision and internal controls at the Ministry, particularly over how applicants are directed to persons offering unofficial facilitation services within its premises.
By Richmond Fordjour Ampofo
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