A former Head of Information and Public Affairs at the Embassy of Ghana in the United States, Kofi Tonto, says he is not surprised by the alleged corruption scandal involving Fred Kwarteng, a local staff member at the Washington D.C. mission.
According to Mr. Tonto, the recent revelations are “just the tip of the iceberg,” adding that Mr. Kwarteng has been involved in questionable dealings for years.
His comments follow the announcement by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa of the temporary closure of the Washington embassy effective Monday, May 26, 2025, as part of what he described as a “comprehensive restructuring and systems overhaul.”
The closure comes after a special audit uncovered that Mr. Kwarteng had created an unauthorised payment portal through which he allegedly collected illegal fees—ranging between $29.75 and $60—from passport applicants. The charges were not sanctioned under Ghana’s Fees and Charges Act.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Kofi Tonto confirmed the development and described Fred Kwarteng as “a bad boy.”
“My checks suggest he has been at the embassy since 2015 but was regularised around 2017. So when I went there, I uncovered that he operates a mailing company outside of the embassy which delivers packages, and their operations were quite shady,” Mr. Tonto said.
He added that other irregularities came to his attention, prompting him to seek approval from his superiors to interrogate Mr. Kwarteng.
“When I had the permission of my superiors to interrogate him, he admitted to all the issues brought against him,” he stated.
However, Mr. Tonto said the interrogation took a dramatic turn when Mr. Kwarteng claimed that high-ranking officials were involved and would protect him.
“He told me my probe would amount to nothing because the people who are to act on it will give a contrary report. Instead, he told me they would pay me a certain amount monthly if I cooperated with them,” Mr. Tonto disclosed.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry has yet to indicate when the embassy will reopen.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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