Ghana Police went debt collection in NextGen InfraCo officer’s 'abduction'

The management of NextGen InfraCo (NGIC), has issued a clarification regarding the position of Tony Mintah within the company, stating that he is not the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as previously speculated.

This clarification follows an announcement by the Ghana Police Service on October 23, 2024, regarding Mr Mintah, who has been identified as the Chief Operations Officer (COO), being snatched from the National Communications Authority (NCA) premises.

But The Herald’s information is that Tony Mintah, owed someone, and the creditor sent the police to pick him up.

Details of what he owes and how the police got involved in the purely civil matter, are not yet available. It is also not clear, if Tony Mintah, had been dodging the creditor, leading to his arrest on Wednesday, which many had thought was an abduction.

The Herald is digging around for the name of the creditor, who turned the police into debtor collectors.

According to the police, Mr Mintah was abducted by unidentified individuals, sparking concern. Fortunately, he was found unharmed later the same day.

In a statement released on October 24, 2024, NGIC, confirmed that Tony Mintah holds the position of Senior Manager, and not CEO, as some reports had suggested.

The company emphasized that Mr Tenu Awoonor has been the CEO since the inception of NextGen InfraCo, overseeing its operations and strategic direction.

The company expressed regret over any confusion caused by misinformation about the leadership structure and reaffirmed its commitment to transparency in corporate matters.

NGIC concluded the statement by offering its support to law enforcement in their ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Tony Mintah’s temporary disappearance.

The Ghana Police Service last Wednesday located Tony Mintah, who was reportedly abducted by unidentified individuals from the premises of the NCA in Accra.

In a brief statement, the police confirmed that further details will be provided shortly. They later found Tony Mintah in their custody suggesting the illegality of the police operation last Wednesday.

They had previously noted that investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances of his alleged abduction and assured the public that updates would be shared as new information became available.

NextGen Infraco has been awarded the licensing contract to oversee Ghana’s upgrade to the 5G spectrum.

In a brief statement, the Management of Next Gen Infraco (NGIC) expressed its sincere gratitude to the Ghana Police Service for their swift and professional response to the situation.

“We are pleased to inform the public that Mr. Mintah has been located and is safe. We also want to extend our appreciation to the general public for their support and cooperation during this time. Your vigilance and assistance were invaluable. Thank you once again to the authorities and the public for your continued efforts.”

On June 3, 2024, the Government of Ghana, in collaboration with Ascend Digital, K-NET, Radisys, Nokia, and Tech Mahindra, as well as support from all mobile network operators, including AirtelTigo and Telecel, launched the Next-Gen InfraCo (NGIC). This initiative aims to deliver affordable 5G mobile broadband services across the country.

The development comes barely a week before the November 1 implementation of the 5G service announced by the Communication Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.

At a press briefing at the Ministry of Information in Accra, the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful (MP), described the launch of NGIC as a groundbreaking partnership and a pivotal step in spearheading the nation’s digital transformation agenda.