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Kofi Tonto denies involvement in alleged Washington Embassy fraud scheme

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Former Head of Information and Public Affairs at Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, Kofi Tonto, has denied claims linking him to an alleged fraudulent scheme said to have occurred at the embassy.

In a statement issued in Accra on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, Mr. Tonto rejected reports that he received US$800 from an alleged US$19 million fraud uncovered through a forensic audit conducted by the Ghana Audit Service.

According to him, he has never been involved in any fraudulent scheme, the sharing of illicit funds, or the receipt of ill-gotten money.

He stated that the audit report covering the period from 2017 to 2025 does not name him as a person of interest for investigation.

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Mr. Tonto explained that the US$800 payment he received in July 2021 was a lawful child benefit package following the birth of his daughter in January 2021.

He noted that the payment was made under an existing practice at the embassy and that other staff members had also received similar benefits for various life events.

He argued that the one-time payment could not reasonably be used to suggest that he was complicit in the alleged fraud.

The former embassy official further stated that all compensations, allowances, benefits and refunds he received during his tenure between March 2019 and July 2021 were paid to him in good faith as an employee and in accordance with established procedures.

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He maintained that he was never involved in decisions relating to the financial management of the embassy, including matters concerning the operation or closure of bank accounts.

Mr. Tonto urged his family, friends, admirers and the general public to disregard what he described as distorted narratives intended to falsely associate him with wrongdoing in the matter.

By: Jacob Aggrey

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Baffour Awuah currently under arrest – EOCO

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The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has confirmed that Manhyia South MP and Senior Partner of Sarkodie, Baffour Awuah and Partners, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, voluntarily surrendered himself at its premises today.

In a statement release on Thursday October 1, EOCO said the MP reported at approximately 10 a.m. today to assist investigators with ongoing investigations.

“His appearance follows several months of efforts by the Office to secure his attendance before investigators,” the statement said.

EOCO said Baffour Awuah is being investigated over allegations relating to criminal conspiracy, financial loss to SIC Savings and Loans, money laundering, tax-related offences and other matters.

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“The Office subsequently commenced the applicable investigative and operational procedures in respect of Mr. Baffour Awuah. In accordance with those procedures, Mr. Baffour Awuah was subsequently placed under arrest and is currently cooperating with investigators as the investigative process proceeds,” EOCO stated.

The Office assured the public that its investigations will progress professionally, independently and in accordance with due process.

“The Office will continue to pursue all relevant lines of inquiry, examine the available evidence and afford all persons involved their rights under the Constitution and applicable laws,” it added.

EOCO further urged the public to allow the investigative and judicial processes to proceed without speculation or premature conclusions about the culpability of any individual, adding that further information will be provided when it is appropriate and legally permissible to do so.

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By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

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President John Mahama joins African leaders at Alamein Africa Forum

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President John Dramani Mahama will be joining African heads of state, business leaders, investors and innovators shaping Africa’s next chapter, at the inaugural Alamein Africa Forum scheduled to take place from 2nd to 4th October 2026 in the historic city of Alamein on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast.

The three-day Alamein Africa Forum is established as a permanent African Business Forum to convene biennially in Egypt.

It is to become the continent’s premier gathering where political power meets entrepreneurial prowess, bridging the established engines of African growth with the new sectors defining its future.

Co-organised by the Government of Egypt, African Export – Import Bank (Afreximbank), the African Union and AUDA-NEPAD, it is expected to bring together more than twenty (20) heads of state and government representatives alongside business leaders, bankers and development institutions.

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Ghana’s President, who on 23rd September 2026 declared Ghana is open for business in New York after ringing the ceremonial closing bell at the Nasdaq Stock Market will be leading the Ghanaian delegation, to include the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu – Adjare, to the forum.

Other members of the Ghanaian delegation are the Head and Presidential Advisor for Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, Hon. Augustus Goosie Tanoh, Ghana’s Special Envoy to the Alliance of Sahel States, Colonel Larry Gbevlo – Lartey alongside key Ghanaian private sector players.

Bringing together leaders in politics, business and policy from across the continent, the Alamein Africa Forum will provide a unique opportunity to shape Africa’s growth agenda by aligning policy and investment priorities, mobilising partnerships for implementation and strengthening financing and investment pathways.

The private sector must become an integral part of Agenda 2063, the African Union’s strategic fifty-year masterplan to transform the continent. The private sector is the core economic engine required to turn the African 2063 from an aspirational government roadmap into realized infrastructure, jobs, and value-added trade.

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By Chris KONEY

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