Washington embassy scandal: Fred Kwarteng made $4.8m annually – Ablakwa

Former Head of IT at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, Fred Kwarteng, is at the center of a staggering fraud scandal, accused of illegally amassing $4.8 million annually through a scheme that siphoned visa and passport application traffic away from official channels.

According to Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Mr. Kwarteng exploited his access to the embassy’s digital infrastructure by creating an unauthorised redirection link on the embassy’s website.

This link diverted applicants to a private platform he operated under the name Ghana Travel Consultants, where he allegedly charged inflated fees for consular services, all without the knowledge or approval of the embassy.

“By the analysis made by the fact-finding team, which is a team made up of distinguished senior diplomats, management of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mr. Fred Kwarteng was making 4.8 million dollars annually from his unlawful enterprise,” Mr. Ablakwa told Parliament on Wednesday, June 18.

He further revealed that the operation yielded no revenue for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was entirely off the books, prompting immediate action from government authorities.

“It is important to note that there was no share of this amount to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Given the amount of funds that were derived from the authorised operations, it has become imperative to invite EOCO and the Attorney General to investigate, trace the proceeds, and prosecute Fred Kwarteng and his collaborators as instructed by the President.”

The revelations emerged as part of a preliminary investigation launched by the ministry’s internal fact-finding committee following concerns over suspicious activity and unaccounted revenue at the mission.

As a result of the breach, the Washington Mission was temporarily shut down, a move Minister Ablakwa strongly defended, citing national security and the need to preserve the integrity of Ghana’s diplomatic operations abroad.

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has now been tasked with pursuing a deeper investigation into Kwarteng’s dealings, including the tracing and possible recovery of illicit proceeds, and identifying any internal or external accomplices involved.

The scandal has sparked widespread concern about the oversight and cybersecurity protocols in Ghana’s foreign missions, with calls for a complete audit of all digital systems and third-party contracts within embassies and consulates.