A former information officer for Ghana’s embassy in the United States of America, Kofi Tonto, has sought to clarify an amount of $800 he received while working at the embassy.

According to him, the amount received was for child benefits after he gave birth to his daughter while working there.

He denied being part of any scheme to rip off the country.

His reaction comes after a story published online in which it is alleged that he received an amount of USD$800 out of a colossal amount of USD$19 million allegedly obtained from a fraudulent scheme at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, USA.

“It is instructive to note that in the said audit report, I have not been named as a person of interest for investigation. The amount of $800 which I received in July 2021 was money which was lawfully paid to me as a child benefit package for the birth of my daughter which occurred in January 2021. To the best of my knowledge and recollection, the payment of child benefit package is a standard practice that preceded me as one will find in the same report that about 28 other staff members also received benefits for various life changing reasons”.

Adding further that “Therefore, a one-time payment of $800 for child benefit which I did not solicit for, nor determine the amount, nor determine the payment bank account and could not have known the source of funding, cannot be used as a basis to falsely implicate me as complicit in the alleged fraudulent scheme which allegedly yielded $19 million”.

Read the statement below

RE: FRAUDULENT SCHEME AT GHANA’S EMBASSY AT WASHINGTON, USA

I have become aware of a story published online in which it is alleged that I received an amount of USD$800 out of a colossal amount of USD$19 million allegedly obtained from a fraudulent scheme at Ghana’s Embassy at Washington, USA.

According to the story, this alleged fraudulent scheme was uncovered as a result of a forensic audit conducted by the Ghana Audit Service into the affairs of the Embassy covering the period 2017 to 2025.

I wish to state that I have never been involved in any scheme, the sharing of, or the receipt of any ill-obtained funds.

It is instructive to note that in the said audit report, I have not been named as a person of interest for investigation. The amount of $800 which I received in July 2021 was money which was lawfully paid to me as a child benefit package for the birth of my daughter which occurred in January 2021. To the best of my knowledge and recollection, the payment of child benefit package is a standard practice that preceded me as one will find in the same report that about 28 other staff members also received benefits for various life changing reasons.

Therefore, a one-time payment of $800 for child benefit which I did not solicit for, nor determine the amount, nor determine the payment bank account and could not have known the source of funding, cannot be used as a basis to falsely implicate me as complicit in the alleged fraudulent scheme which allegedly yielded $19 million.

Lastly, I wish to state that all payments such as compensations, allowances, benefits, and refunds, that I received during my tenure as Head of Information and Public Affairs at the Embassy between the period March 2019 and July 2021, were received bona fide by me as a worker, which payments were made in accordance with longstanding established processes. I was never involved in decisions relating to the financial management of the Embassy especially those involving the operation or closure of any bank account.

I therefore wish to encourage my family, friends, loved ones, admirers and the general public to disregard any distorted narrative which is being pushed to falsely attribute wrongdoing to me in this matter.