Ex-IT Head at Ghana’s US Embassy denies misconduct, claims services were transparent and approved
The former Head of IT at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington D.C., Fred Kwarteng, has denied allegations of financial impropriety and abuse of office, insisting that his actions were transparent and delivered tangible benefits to Ghanaians both in the United States and at home.
In an interview on Asempa FM, Mr Kwarteng urged the public to focus on the value of the services he had rendered during his tenure, rather than speculating about his personal earnings.
“Can we look at the good part—the part that people benefited from—and forget about the fact that someone was benefiting from something he had genuinely put together?” he asked.
Mr Kwarteng’s comments follow the temporary closure of Ghana’s Embassy in Washington D.C., ordered by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. The move comes in response to ongoing allegations of corruption and unauthorised business dealings involving the former IT head, including the use of the Embassy’s official website to promote a private company linked to him.
However, Mr Kwarteng claimed that his innovations, including a service that allowed for effective communication with passport applicants, were known to and appreciated by officials at both the embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He added that the services improved user experience and helped applicants track their documents. “Tell me, all these years, did anybody go online or on social media to say someone had stolen their money or passport? No—there was no complaint,” he asserted.
He further clarified that the fees collected through his private platform were not for embassy services but for assisting applicants with logistics such as returned envelopes and label preparation.
“I was working for the embassy and got paid for those duties. The other solutions I provided were for outsiders who paid me to assist with communication and delivery,” he explained.
Addressing allegations of impropriety, Mr Kwarteng insisted that his actions were not done in secrecy and that embassy leadership was fully aware of his role and the services he was providing.
“Are we saying that the Heads are not allowed to find solutions to problems? If they had a problem with what I was doing, they would have made me stop,” he said.
The matter remains under investigation as the Ministry continues to assess the extent of the alleged irregularities at the Ghanaian mission in Washington D.C.
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