New Patriotic Party (NPP) communicator and political aide to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Kofi Tonto, has denied any involvement in an alleged US$19.4 million financial irregularity at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., insisting that the US$800 he received was a legitimate staff benefit.
Mr Tonto said the payment was a child benefit he was entitled to as an embassy staff member following the birth of his second child.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, he said he was shocked when reports suggested that he had received money connected to the alleged financial irregularities at the embassy.
He explained that the Auditor-General’s investigation covered transactions between 2017 and 2025, while he served at the embassy from 2019 to 2021, meaning that most of the transactions under investigation occurred after he had left the institution.
According to him, his name appeared in tables showing staff who had received payments and how their benefit allocations were used, but he was not among the key persons identified as being involved in the alleged financial transactions.
“The report is an investigation that covers 2017 to 2025. I worked at the embassy from 2019 to 2021, and the report mostly centres on 2021 to 2025. Largely, I wasn’t there for those transactions,” he said.
Mr Tonto stressed that he had no access to the embassy’s bank accounts and was not involved in financial decisions.
“I am not aware of the banking accounts of the embassy. It is not my work. I don’t even know what bank the embassy works with. I have nothing to do with bank accounts whatsoever,” he stated.
He explained that after leaving the embassy in July 2021, his final benefits were processed, including a payment relating to the birth of his second child.
According to him, the US$800 mentioned in the report was a one-off payment he received as a legitimate welfare benefit.
“I was shocked when I heard my name. I had to call someone who reminded me that it was my final payment and benefits due me,” he said.
Mr Tonto argued that the Auditor-General’s report should have clearly identified the payments as benefits arising from significant life events instead of presenting the names of recipients in a manner that could create the impression that they were involved in wrongdoing.
He also expressed disappointment with journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, saying he privately contacted him after seeing his name mentioned in reports but felt that his explanation was not adequately considered before the matter was published.
“I was not feeling well when I saw the Manassehs, so I texted him privately to let him know that I knew nothing about it. At that point, he took a screenshot of the report where my name was mentioned and published it. I questioned whether he had some hidden agenda against me, as he didn’t even want you to hear my side of the story. I was sad about this because I had done nothing wrong,” he said.
Mr Tonto maintained that he has no concerns about the matter being subjected to further scrutiny, noting that he expects the issue to be considered by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.
He insisted that the US$800 payment was legitimate and unrelated to the alleged financial transactions being investigated at the embassy.
“I’m not even bothered because wherever the case may be, it will be sent to the Public Accounts Committee.”
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