“I’m a politician and not pained by attempts to disgrace me, but…” – Kofi Tonto on alleged embassy fraud

Former Head of Information and Public Affairs at Ghana's Embassy in Washington, Kofi Tonto, has expressed concern over public humiliation of embassy staff amidst allegations of a $19 million fraud scheme. Despite not being bothered by attempts to tarnish his own reputation, as a politician, he is deeply troubled by the impact on staff who have dedicated decades to serving the embassy.

Tonto cited a foreign driver at the embassy whose language barrier has led to their wrongful association with the allegations. He questioned why these individuals, who have worked at the embassy for over 30 years, have had their reputations damaged without sufficient justification. The former official also denied any allegations of misappropriating state funds, stating he has no motivation to engage in such conduct.

He pointed out that the $19 million figure in question was actually a $24,000 donation used for embassy welfare, which was not the subject of the misappropriation allegations. The Audit-General's report did not establish the intended use of the alleged funds. Tonto emphasized that while he is prepared to withstand political attacks, ordinary career employees cannot have their years of dedicated service overshadowed by unfounded allegations.

He questioned the rationale behind publicly linking such individuals to the scheme and called for more responsible reporting to avoid permanently damaging their reputations.