The Government of Ghana has initiated a dramatic and comprehensive overhaul at its Washington DC embassy following the uncovering of a significant, five-year fraudulent scheme, Member of Parliament and diplomat Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced.
With the unequivocal support of President John Dramani Mahama, the reforms include dismissals, staff recalls, and a temporary closure of the mission for restructuring.
“With the firm support of President Mahama, I have carried out drastic and decisive actions following the damning findings of a special audit team I put together to investigate alleged corrupt practices at the embassy,” Mr. Ablakwa stated.
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The internal investigation exposed that Mr. Fred Kwarteng, a locally recruited IT staffer since August 2017, allegedly orchestrated the elaborate fraud. According to audit findings, corroborated by Mr. Kwarteng’s own admission, he created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s official website. This link surreptitiously redirected visa and passport applicants to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), where he levied unapproved fees reportedly ranging from US$29.75 to US$60 per applicant.
“He kept the entire proceeds in his private account on the blind side of the Ministry. Investigations show this scheme operated for at least five years,” Mr. Ablakwa revealed. The matter has now been referred to the Attorney-General for potential prosecution and the recovery of all misappropriated funds.
In response to the egregious breach, the following immediate actions have been implemented:
- Mr. Fred Kwarteng has been dismissed.
- All Foreign Affairs Ministry staff posted to the Washington DC embassy have been recalled to Ghana.
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The embassy’s entire IT department has been dissolved.
- All other locally recruited staff at the mission have been suspended pending further review.
- The Auditor-General has been tasked to conduct a thorough forensic audit of the embassy’s operations.
- The embassy will be temporarily closed to facilitate a comprehensive restructuring and systems overhaul.
Acknowledging the potential disruption, Mr. Ablakwa said, “These are radical measures, and we regret any inconvenience caused to visa and passport applicants.” He firmly reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to fighting corruption.
“President Mahama’s government will continue to demonstrate zero tolerance for corruption, naked conflict of interest, and blatant abuse of office,” he stressed.
By Osumanu Al-Hassan/thenewsbulletin24.com