Top police officers indicted in $1.3 million gold scam

The company at the center of a $1.3 million gold scandal, Green Global Resources, has implicated high ranking officials of the Ghana Police Service in the deal, but failed to mention names.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra Tuesday, the Director of Strategy and Business Development of the licensed US gold buying firm, James Barbieri, opined they are losing faith in Ghana and that the country is no longer a safe haven to do business.

In March this year five policemen, including the East Legon District Police Commander, DSP Emmanuel Basintale were arrested in connection with a number of alleged fraudulent gold deals running into several millions of Ghana cedis.

DSP Basintale, who is currently on interdiction, is alleged to have led a group of officers to defraud Green Global Resources Company Limited under the pretext of selling 13 gold bars to the company.

Mr. Barbieri said the President Akufo-Addo and the Inspector General of Police David Asante-Apeatu must intervene in the issue since the development dents the image of the Service. He said the investigators attached to the case are involved in cover-up and must be changed.

He said: “In this situation, a lot of senior police officials and some other junior ranking officials, some including BNI officers, were allegedly protecting the scammers.

“Unfortunately the country of Ghana is the real loser here because your security services are apparently corrupt and cheat potential investors and drive this potential investor away by protecting the scammers and these police corrupt officials.”

“It must be stated categorically that, the 13 boxes of gold that was confiscated have still not been returned to Green Global Resources Ltd. and we believe it is in the possession of the Police Service. We are therefore calling on the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; Mr. David Asante Apeatu, Inspector General of Police and Mr. Bright Oduro, Director-General of the CID, to act on the information provided above to act upon to retrieve our money or the bars of gold are given to us,” Barbieri opined.

He served notice they are ready to fold up their business in Ghana if authorities are unwilling to support them. According to him, his “managers are becoming apprehensive whether they can come and continue to invest in Ghana or not.

“If the perpetrators of this scam are not brought to book, it will have an effect on the country’s image which may heighten the fears of potential foreign investors who may be willing to come and invest in Ghana.”

The police hierarchy is yet to respond to the company’s allegations against its men.