I did not engage in any illegality – Ex-IT staff of Ghana’s embassy in Washington DC

Fred Kwarteng, the former head of IT at Ghana’s embassy in Washington D.C., has denied any wrongdoing. He stated he did not divert funds from the embassy.

Kwarteng emphasized that his work benefited many Ghanaians. He claimed that both embassy officials and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were aware of his activities.

He urged Ghanaians to focus on the value of his services. Kwarteng spoke during an interview with Asempa 94.7 FM on May 29, 2025. He explained that he was paid for additional services provided to the embassy.

These services included buying return envelopes and preparing labels for timely communication. Kwarteng clarified that these tasks were separate from his official duties.

He mentioned, “If I had charged for my ideas, it would be different.” He insisted he never asked for extra money for these services.

Kwarteng questioned how helping applicants could be considered a crime. He noted that no complaints had been made by Ghanaians about his service.

He said, “For all these years, no one complained online or on social media.” Kwarteng encouraged people to recognize the benefits rather than focus on personal gain.

His comments followed accusations from Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. Ablakwa alleged corrupt practices against Kwarteng in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Ablakwa stated that Kwarteng created an unauthorized link on the embassy's website. This link allegedly diverted visa and passport applicants to his company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC).

According to Ablakwa, Kwarteng charged extra fees without ministry approval. These charges ranged from US$29.75 to US$60 per applicant over five years.

The investigation revealed this scheme operated without oversight from the ministry or parliament as required by law.