U.S. Justice Department Tightens Noose on MP

The District Attorney of the County of New York, has formally preferred a 15-count charge in a New York Court against the Member of Parliament for Upper Denkyira East and former head of Limousine Service in New York, Hon. Augustine Asiedu aka Nana Amoako, for allegedly helping to steal $1million from his former business.

The 15 counts include Grand Larceny in the second degree, money laundering in the second degree and falsifying business records in the first degree in violation of Penal Law §155.40(1).


Hon Asiedu together with his colleague, Nick Zarbhanelian and his girlfriend, Sebastiana Paul as well as Apurva Patel of Armonk, NY, have all been included in the suit filed by Manhattan District Attorney, Robert M. Morgenthau.


The suit is titled "THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK-against- AUGUSTINE ASIEDU, A/K/A NANA AMOAKOH, NICK ZARBHANELIAN,APURVA PATEL, and SEBASTIANA PAUL."


With respect to Count One through Five, the charge sheet alleges that Hon. Asiedu and Nick, from on or about August 16, 2002, through to on or about July 6, 2005, stole property from Fone-A-Car, a limo firm, and the value of the property exceeded fifty thousand dollars.


It further stated that on or about May 2, 2005 through to on or about May 20, 2005, they stole property from Fone-A-Car, and the value of the property exceeded fifty thousand dollars. Again, on or about March 31, 2003 through to on or about May 20, 2005, they stole property from the same company and the value of the property exceeded fifty thousand dollars.


From on or about April 1, 2005 through to on or about June 7, 2005, they again stole property from Rosenthal & Rosenthal Inc., and the value of the property exceeded fifty thousand dollars.

The suit indicated that from on or about November 7, 2003 through to on or about November 14, 2003, Hon Asiedu, Nick and Apurva stole property from All Points Capital Corporation, and the value of the property exceeded fifty thousand dollars.


The trio were further accused of the crime of money laundering in the second degree in violation of Penal Law §470.15(1)(b)(i)(A) and (iii) and charged as follows: "From on or about November 7, 2003 through to on or about November 14, 2003, knowing that the property involved in at least one financial transaction represented the proceeds of specified criminal conduct, conducted at least one such financial transaction which in fact, involved the proceeds of specified criminal conduct with intent to promote the carrying on of specified criminal conduct and the total value of the property involved in such financial transactions exceeded one hundred thousand dollars."


Regarding the eighth and ninth counts, the Grand Jury, by this indictment, further accused the defendants of falsifying business records in the County of New York, and elsewhere, from on or about November 3, 2003 through to on or about November 5, 2003, with intent to defraud, and to commit another crime and to aid and conceal the commission thereof, they made and caused to be made, a false entry in the business records of an enterprise- Ameristar Capital Corporation- and within the same period, they caused to be made, a false entry in the business records of an enterprise- All Points Capital Corporation.


The fifteenth count touched on Sebastiana Paul, whom the writ stated that from on or about December 20, 2001 through to on or about March 29, 2004, stole property from Fone-A-Car, and the value of the property exceeded three thousand dollars.


When Mr. Asiedu was contacted yesterday on phone he complained that the paper had earlier reported on the issue without contacting him. He was however informed that efforts were made to talk to him prior to the earlier publication but without success.


He said he would not comment on the matter but later said he was eating and so could be contacted later.