Bright Mensah Bonsu, the man suspected to have received an amount of US$1.5 million in cash in his attempt to sell a prime beachfront property belonging to Ghana’s High Commission in Lagos, Nigeria, has been arrested.
“No diplomatic property belonging to the people of Ghana is for sale, severe consequences await anyone who tests our resolve,” this was the strong message from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel OkudzetoAblakwa, after he confirmed the arrest in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
He revealed that Ghanaian security operatives apprehended Bonsu after months of investigations into the suspicious transaction.
According to the Minister, Bonsu claimed to be a special aide to the late Ghana High Commissioner to Nigeria, Alhaji Rashid Bawa, who served under the Akufo-Addo administration.
However, Bonsu was never officially employed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the High Commission.
Investigations show that Bonsu received US$1.5 million in cash as the first instalment for the sale of the diplomatic property, even though the Ministry had not approved any such deal.
Ablakwa stated that the money was not paid into any government account, and there is no record that it was declared officially.
“We got him! Bright Mensah Bonsu, the man who received US$1.5million cash and signed documents purporting to sell a prime diplomatic property belonging to Ghana’s High Commission in Nigeria has finally been arrested by Ghanaian security operatives.
Bright Mensah Bonsu describes himself as a Special Aide to former Ghana High Commissioner to Nigeria, the late Alhaji Rashid Bawa who was appointed by President Akufo-Addo.
It is important to emphasize that the US$1.5million cash was not paid into government accounts neither is there any record at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the cash was officially declared.
Documents reveal that Bright Mensah Bonsu and his collaborators had valued the prime Lagos beachfront diplomatic property at US$5.3million and considered the US$1.5million payment as the first installment. The outcome of the 2024 elections must have thwarted their plans” part of the post stated.
In a further twist, the Foreign Affairs Minister raised concerns about how Bonsu managed to obtain a diplomatic passport on October 18th, 2023.
“We are also investigating the circumstances under which Bright Mensah Bonsu was issued a diplomatic passport on October 18, 2023 by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government when from all assessments, he could not have been eligible for a diplomatic passport.
Bright Mensah Bonsu was not a staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ghana High Commission in Nigeria even though he was often seen in the company of the High Commissioner,”Ablakwa noted.
As the case moves toward criminal prosecution, authorities want to know how Bonsu accessed confidential property documents and whether he acted alone or under instructions from higher authorities, as he claims.
“As we await criminal prosecution shortly, it would be interesting to see how Mr. Mensah Bonsu backs his claims that he acted on the instructions of his superiors, and that those superiors gave him access to documents on the diplomatic property,” he stated.
He also stressed that the Mahama administration will not shield any wrongdoer.
“The Mahama administration would not shield anyone who played a role in this grand conspiracy not only to commit crime but to dent Ghana’s enviable international image.
The Government of Ghana is equally determined not to allow this condemnable incident to mar our great and ancestral bilateral relations with Nigeria. We promised that justice will be done, we are keeping our word,” he warned.
