U.S. bank queried payments for Ghana ambassador’s residence renovated by company owned by embassy’s IT officer

Ghana Embassy’s bank in the United States, Citibank, queried the transactions “due to questionable invoices, inconsistencies in company details, and the conflict of interest arising from a staff member being the beneficiary of Embassy payments,” according to the audit report.“The ethical standards governing the Ghana Foreign Service also forbid employees, contractors, or agents from using Embassy platforms, symbols, or imagery—including the Coat of Arms of Ghana— in a manner that creates the impression of official endorsement for private commercial activities or results in personal financial enrichment,” the audit report said.

A special forensic audit of Ghana’s Embassy in the United States has uncovered a conflict-of-interest situation in which a company owned by the embassy’s IT officer, Fred Kwarteng, was awarded a contract of nearly $296,000 to renovate the ambassador’s residence.