Fred Kwarteng, the dismissed head of IT at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., has finally spoken after being accused of corruption by Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosiisen show on Thursday, May 29, 2025, Mr. Kwarteng said the claims made against him by Minister Ablakwa are false. He explained that he was only trying to solve a problem at the embassy and not steal from the state.
According to him, when he started working at the embassy, most of the work was done on paper and manually. He said he used his skills to create a website that made things easier for Ghanaians seeking visas and passports. He added that this digital service came at no cost to the government.
“I only saw a problem and brought a solution,” he said. “I did not take money from the state. I helped digitize the embassy’s work.”
Mr. Kwarteng also clarified that he has been working at the embassy since 2014 and his appointment was officially confirmed in 2016 by the then NDC government. He said this to challenge the impression that he was brought in by the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Earlier this week, Minister Okudzeto Ablakwa announced that Fred Kwarteng had been fired for allegedly creating a fake link on the embassy website. The link reportedly redirected applicants to a private company called Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), which charged extra fees without approval.
Mr. Ablakwa said this scheme had been running for five years and promised to recover the money. He has also suspended all local embassy staff and referred the case to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution.
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