By: Hannah Dadzie
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, says the current administration is committed to a new era of transparency and accountability, where corruption and conflict of interest will not be tolerated. In light of the recent findings of a fact-finding mission, the Minister has stressed that responsible leadership demands action in the face of massive corruption and breach of laws.
Speaking at news conference in Accra, Mr Ablakwa said the government will not condone corruption and will not become complicit in such conduct. This marks a significant shift towards a reset era, where the hard-won reputation of the ministry will be protected and upheld.
Mr Ablakwa responded to ongoing attempts by the former Ambassador to the United States, Hajia Alima Mahama to downplay the findings of a recent investigation.
“When the former Ambassador, Hajia Alima Mahama, says the services offered by Fred Kwarteng at the Ghana’s Embassy in Washington DC were optional, that’s a palpable lie,” he stated firmly.
“Lack of internal, financial and managerial control.We have provided Parliament with a full report of the fact-finding mission. It is important to stress that the levels of corruption and naked conflict of interest we unravelled there was absolutely no way responsible leadership will refuse to act”. The Minister indicated
Reacting to allegations by Hajia Alima Mahama that the visa system was legitimate under her leadership, the Minister implied she had ignored repeated red flags.
“Perhaps the former ambassador would have preferred that, just as others refused to act for many, many years, even when this matter came to their attention, we also look the other way and do not take action. But Hajia Alima Mahama must know that this is a new era. It is a reset era. We do not condone corruption. We do not tolerate naked conflict of interest, and we will not look the other way” he noted.
Mr Ablakwa also emphasized that the contract between the embassy and Fred Kwarteng’s company has come under scrutiny, with many questioning the need for the company’s services. Other missions, such as the New York mission, deal directly with courier services like FedEx and UPS, raising questions about what makes Fred Kwarteng’s company so special. The contract in question appears to be highly unusual, with no duration, term limits, termination clause, or specific figures. This has led to concerns that the company has been given a “blank check” to charge as much as it wants for its services.
Furthermore, it’s alleged that the contract was not authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and there are no records of the agreement. This raises questions about the Former ambassador Hajia Alima Mahama’s authority to sign contracts and whether they have followed the proper procedures. He said according to financial regulations, it’s the Head of Chancery, not the ambassador, who is responsible for signing contracts.
“We will not become complicit. And we will not, by our dereliction, encourage such terrible conduct which destroys the hard-won reputation of this Ministry and Ghana’s Foreign Service,” he declared.
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