Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has confirmed the arrest of Bright Mensah Bonsu, the man at the center of the controversial $1.5 million cash deal involving Ghana’s diplomatic property in Lagos, Nigeria.
In a Facebook post sighted by MyNewsGh, Ablakwa revealed that Mensah Bonsu—who described himself as a special aide to the late High Commissioner Alhaji Rashid Bawa—has finally been apprehended by Ghanaian security operatives.
According to Ablakwa, the $1.5 million was paid in cash and never deposited into any official government account, with no record at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs showing the amount was ever declared.
Documents reportedly show the beachfront property was valued at $5.3 million, with the cash paid seen as an initial installment. “The outcome of the 2024 elections must have thwarted their plans,” Ablakwa noted.
He also disclosed that Mensah Bonsu was issued a diplomatic passport in October 2023, though he was neither a Foreign Affairs staff member nor an official of the Ghana High Commission in Nigeria.
“We are also investigating the basis on which he was granted the diplomatic passport by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government,” he added.
Mensah Bonsu is said to have claimed he acted under the instruction of “superiors” who allegedly gave him access to sensitive documents. Ablakwa insists that criminal prosecution is imminent and that justice will be served.
“This should send clear assurance to Nigerian authorities and the intended buyer that we’re committed to justice and will recover the stolen $1.5 million,” Ablakwa stated.
He reaffirmed that no diplomatic property of Ghana is for sale, warning that “severe consequences await anyone who tests our resolve.”
“For God and Country,” he concluded.
