Key suspect arrested in $1.5M diplomatic property scandal in Nigeria – Ablakwa confirms

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has confirmed the arrest of Bright Mensah Bonsu, the key suspect in the controversial $1.5 million sale of a diplomatic property belonging to Ghana’s High Commission in Nigeria.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, April 15, the Minister revealed that the cash involved in the alleged transaction was never deposited into any official government account, and there is no record of the payment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“It is important to emphasize that the US$1.5 million cash was not paid into government accounts, neither is there any record at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the cash was officially declared,” Mr. Ablakwa wrote.

Bright Mensah Bonsu, who claims to have been a special aide to the late Ghana High Commissioner to Nigeria, Alhaji Rashid Bawa, is accused of receiving $1.5 million in cash after signing documents to sell a beachfront diplomatic property in Lagos, valued at $5.3 million. According to documents, the payment was labeled as the first installment.

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Mr. Ablakwa revealed ongoing investigations into how Bonsu obtained a diplomatic passport in October 2023 under the previous Akufo-Addo administration, despite not being a Foreign Ministry staff member.

“We are keeping our word—justice will be done,” Ablakwa assured, noting that the arrest signals the Mahama administration’s commitment to accountability and the protection of Ghana’s international image.

He reiterated that no diplomatic property of Ghana is for sale and warned that severe consequences await anyone attempting to undermine the country’s integrity.

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