Kofi Tonto, a former Head of Information and Public Affairs at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., has denied allegations linking him to a purported US$19 million fraudulent scheme at the embassy.
In a statement dated Wednesday, August 12, 2026, Mr. Tonto said he had become aware of an online publication alleging that he received US$800 from funds said to have been obtained through the scheme.
He rejected the allegation, stating that he had “never been involved in any scheme” involving the sharing or receipt of illicit funds.
According to Mr. Tonto, the allegations were reportedly based on findings from a forensic audit conducted by the Ghana Audit Service into the operations of the embassy between 2017 and 2025.
He said, however, that he was not identified in the audit report as a person of interest for investigation.
Says $800 was child benefit
Mr. Tonto explained that the US$800 payment he received in July 2021 was a legitimate child benefit following the birth of his daughter in January that year.
He said the payment was part of a standard benefit package available to staff and noted that about 28 other staff members also received benefits for various life-changing events.
He maintained that he neither requested the payment nor determined its amount or the bank account into which it was paid.
“Therefore, a one-time payment of $800 for child benefit which I did not solicit, 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,” he said.
Denies involvement in embassy financial decisions
Mr. Tonto further said that all compensation, allowances, benefits and refunds he received during his tenure at the embassy between March 2019 and July 2021 were legitimate payments made to him as an employee.
He said the payments were made in accordance with established procedures and insisted that he was not involved in decisions concerning the financial management of the embassy.
In particular, he said he had no role in decisions relating to the operation or closure of any bank account at the mission.
Mr. Tonto urged his family, friends, colleagues and members of the public to disregard what he described as a “distorted narrative” intended to falsely attribute wrongdoing to him.
His statement comes amid reports concerning alleged financial irregularities at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, although the claims against Mr. Tonto remain his subject of denial.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
