Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC), Onasis Kobby
Onasis Kobby, a Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC), has commended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for its decisive intervention at Ghana’s embassy in Washington, United States, while calling for similar actions at other diplomatic missions.
In response to an announcement by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, regarding the temporary closure of the Washington embassy due to suspected corruption and fraud by some staff members, Onasis Kobby stated that the action was a step in the right direction.
He urged Minister Ablakwa to extend similar interventions to other Ghanaian embassies, noting that such reprehensible acts are not uncommon in some of the country’s diplomatic missions.
“Great! Kindly extend to other missions,” he wrote on Facebook in response to the minister’s disclosure.
Fred Kwarteng sacked as Ghana’s Embassy in Washington shuts down
On Monday, May 26, 2025, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, announced that a staff member of Ghana’s embassy in Washington, USA, has been dismissed and is under investigation following a probe into suspected corrupt activities.
The minister revealed that investigations uncovered that Fred Kwarteng, a local embassy staff member, had created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website. This link redirected visa and passport applicants to his company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC), where he charged additional fees for services without the ministry’s knowledge and kept the proceeds in his private account.
“His unauthorized fees, which were not approved by the ministry or Parliament as required under the Fees and Charges Act, ranged from US$29.75 to US$60 per applicant. Investigations indicate that Kwarteng and his collaborators operated this illegal scheme for at least five years,” Ablakwa stated.
The minister further disclosed that the matter has been referred to the Attorney General for further action, with Kwarteng and his suspected accomplices likely facing prosecution.
“This conduct has been reported to the Attorney General for possible prosecution and the recovery of funds obtained through fraudulent schemes,” part of his statement read.