Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Sam N. George, has defended the government’s cooperation with foreign law enforcement agencies in the fight against cybercrime, amid public criticism that the administration is being distracted from job creation.

Responding to concerns, the minister argued that cyber fraud had had serious consequences for Ghana’s digital economy and international reputation.

"The reason PayPal left Ghana is because of fraud," George said, cautioning that fintechs and digital platforms "will blacklist Ghana so long as there's fraud in Ghana."

He highlighted the negative impact of online fraud on legitimate digital workers, noting that content creators and freelancers are often unable to monetise their work or earn fair value because of “a few people who have chosen to give Ghana a bad name” by engaging in fraudulent online activities.

The minister stressed that the recent arrests and crackdowns demonstrate government’s proactive approach to tackling the issue.

"This action of clamping down on cyberfraud didn't start today. The FBI did not make the request today. Those requests were pending before I became minister but in the past people were leaking the information to the targets and helping them evade arrest," he explained.

Mr George further stated that restoring Ghana’s credibility is central to his mandate.

"I made a commitment when I became a minister that anything we'd do to clean up the image of Ghana internationally, we will. Because as we clamp down on cybercrime, it makes our case stronger as we talk to the platforms to monetise," he added.

He noted his seriousness about assuring investors that Ghana was a "peaceful destination, safe haven, and illicit flows will not come through here".

Addressing calls for leniency towards cyber fraud suspects due to unemployment concerns, the minister rejected the argument, warning against excusing criminal behaviour.

"The excuse and argument that there are no jobs, should we then say that we shouldn't arrest armed robbers as well?" he quizzed.

"Because, everybody will have an excuse for crime."

His comments follow the arrest of Frederick ‘Abu Trica’ Kumi, who has been indicted following an FBI investigation into an alleged US$8 million cyber scam targeting elderly citizens in the United States. Abu Trica is the latest among several Ghanaian suspects identified by the FBI as actors in romance scams aimed at elderly Americans. The FBI has been working with Ghana's Economic & Organised Crime Organisation (EOCO) and the Ghana Police Service (GPS) to this end.