The suspended head of IT Ghana’s embassy in Washington, DC, has rejected claims by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the timeline of his recruitment and involvement in a visa and passport fraud scheme.
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Mr. Kwarteng was recruited in August 2017 and was recently dismissed over allegations of creating an unauthorised payment link on the embassy’s website to defraud visa and passport applicants.
But speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Mr. Kwarteng insisted his official engagement began on December 16, 2016, and was renewed annually under a temporary contract.
“I started working with the embassy on some projects between 2013 and 2016. My official temporary contract letter is dated December 16, 2016, and it has been renewed every year since,” he said.
Mr. Kwarteng added, “Even my termination letter from the embassy clearly states that my contract began on December 16, 2016. So I don’t know why the Minister mentioned August 2017.”
In a social media post on May 26, 2025, the Minister stated that Mr. Kwarteng, a local staff, created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website that redirected applicants to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC).
He is accused of charging extra fees and pocketing the proceeds without the Ministry’s knowledge.
Mr. Kwarteng, however, refuted the fraud allegations against him but maintained that there are discrepancies in the recruitment timeline stated by the Ministry.
“I can’t speak to why the Ministry said August 2017, but the official documents in my possession say December 16, 2016,” he stated.
Source: Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy
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