Gold Scam: Cephas Arthur 'gleefully' maligned my clients for position - Lawyer

The lawyer for DSP Emmanuel Basintale and three other colleagues who were indicted in a Ghc1.3 million gold scam, Kissi Agyabeng has accused Superintendent Cephas Arthur of intentionally maligning his clients.

According to him, Supt. Cephas Arthur deliberated maligned his clients to have them removed so he can be made the Commander of the East Legon District Police Command.

“That is what has happened because he has no basis whatsoever for making those allegations and calling my clients thieves and fraudsters; so if you are gleefully engaged in the maligning of someone’s character only for you to now be appointed to the same position occupied by the person you are maligning it sounds to me as uncomfortable . . . he has some personal liability too as far as this matter is concerned . . .” he said in an interview on Citi Eyewitness News, Wednesday.

Even though his comment seems to accuse SP Cephas Arthur, Lawyer Kissi denies making allegations against Cephas Arthur.

He says "I am just referring him to the statements and comments he made a few months ago about my client."

Background

A licensed US gold buying firm, Green Global Resources, has accused the Ghana Police of corruption at the highest level in the case of an alleged GHc 1.3 million gold scam. This alleged gold scam saw DSP Basintale who was the commander-in-charge of the East Legon Police Station and six others interdicted after they were said to have seized 13 gold bars from Green Global Resources under the pretext that they bought stolen gold.

The seven were arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service for their alleged involvement in a gold fraud in March 2017.

The other police suspects include RSM John Sovor, Corporal Baleto Buafuor, Lance Corporal Ignatius Asamoah Mensah, Detective Lance Corporal Cyrus Conduah, Detective Corporal John Maloni Juaba – all stationed at the East Legon Police Station and Detective Sergeant Charles Owusu Boateng of the Achimota School Police Station.

The then Director of Police Public Affairs, SP Cephas Arthur, confirmed the arrest saying the police personnel and their civilian counterparts were arrested for their involvement in two separate gold fraud cases being investigated by the CID.

Three months down the line, the victims claim nothing has been done in terms of prosecution.

Meanwhile, Four out of the seven Police Officers Indicted have threatened to sue the Police Service over what they describe as negative media campaigns against them.

Lawyer Kissi Agyabeng, in a statement, said his clients “have borne in silence the brunt of the odium the publications reduced them to in their name, reputation, and standing in society, until now.”