$80m Gold Fraud: Are Security Agencies Failing Ghana?

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Charles M 12 years ago

Please i hope all ignorant Ministers read this. Ghana is really ??????doom:

Please i hope all ignorant Ministers read this. Ghana is really ??????doom:
GHOSTBUSTER 12 years ago

According to the Times uk yesterday ie 11th Feb 2013, IT IS PROVING VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND WHO FINALLY RECIEVED THE GOLD IN IRAN. aLSO according to the Times the American and British security agencies are on the case because ...
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According to the Times uk yesterday ie 11th Feb 2013, IT IS PROVING VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND WHO FINALLY RECIEVED THE GOLD IN IRAN. aLSO according to the Times the American and British security agencies are on the case because it is a breach of international sanctions somehow.The Times article was very detailed. It was on the front page and continued on page 11.
Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK 12 years ago

Thanks GHOSTBUSTER. I wrote and sent the article to Ghanaweb on Sunday evening before the Times report. Not many Ghanaians would have read the Times report because of the heading being on Iran.

In fact, when I first read ...
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Thanks GHOSTBUSTER. I wrote and sent the article to Ghanaweb on Sunday evening before the Times report. Not many Ghanaians would have read the Times report because of the heading being on Iran.

In fact, when I first read the story in early January 2013, my first thoughts were that Ghana was aiding Iran to avoid International sanctions but excluded that suspicion from the article since the government had denied that allegation It's good the US and UK government are investigating the matter and hope Ghanaians will get to the bottom of this scandal.
Nii Lante Okunka 12 years ago

A brilliant article indeed but I'm surprised at the writer's naivety.The questions he so rightly raises are the results of corruption being well entrenched in our country with nobody determined to do anything about it.
Ghana ...
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A brilliant article indeed but I'm surprised at the writer's naivety.The questions he so rightly raises are the results of corruption being well entrenched in our country with nobody determined to do anything about it.
Ghanaians have accepted corruption as part of their lifestyle and the results therefrom is this prevalent incidences of malfeasance throughout our national affairs without the due consequences.
Our leadership are at the helm of this sickening obsession and the rest of us are just simply the enablers and the effect is the crippling courageousness that permeates the whole body politic of our nation.
OH GHFUO, WHY SO PRIMITIVE? 12 years ago

GOLD SEIZURE...INSIDE JOB BY GH GOVT!
CONSPIRACY TO STEAL GARGANTUANLLY!
HOW DID GHANA, 3RD RICHEST NATION IN THE WORLD IN TERMS OF NATURAL RESOURCES END UP LIKE THIS? BLAME OUR LEADERS, OURSLEVES!
NOT THE WHITEMAN, NOT TH ...
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GOLD SEIZURE...INSIDE JOB BY GH GOVT!
CONSPIRACY TO STEAL GARGANTUANLLY!
HOW DID GHANA, 3RD RICHEST NATION IN THE WORLD IN TERMS OF NATURAL RESOURCES END UP LIKE THIS? BLAME OUR LEADERS, OURSLEVES!
NOT THE WHITEMAN, NOT THE ASIAN, NOT THE INDIAN, NOT ISLAM OR CHRISTIANITY, BUT OURELVES!
1.5 TONS OF GOLD. so a large quantity OF GOLD OF THIS NATURE IS BEING EXPORTED BY INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE AND U MEAN TO TELL ME
THE GOVT WAS UNAWARE OF THIS? WILL THIS BE CLASSIFIED AS SMUGGLING AND IF SO, WHY DIDNT CUSTOMS NOTIFY THE GOVT?
THIS IS BULLSHIT. THE GOVT KNEW ABOUT IT. IM DAMN SURE SOMEONE IN MAHAMA'A ADMINISTRATION KNEW ABOUT THIS.
IF NOT MAHAMA HIMSELF, THEN WHO? ONLY Peter Bedzrah and Fredrick Kojo Essumang, operating under the corporate identity of
Omanye Gold Mining Ltd AND Vahid Moradi Moghaddam KNOW WHO THE GOVT INFORMANTS ARE OR IS.....
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS?..
At the airport, one Isaac Anakwa Asante, Head of Operations of Menzies Airline Handling Services which handled the aircraft from touchdown
to departure and who inspected the cargo before scanning by Nick TC-Scan reported sighting gold bars.
However, the Customs Division'S Instructions for the Dispatch of Goods (IDG) form entered the goods
as “mineral samples”. The pre-departure formalities were endorsed by Kwesi Avemee, a collector of CD/GRA and Albert Kan Dapaah,
a Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) official. While mineral samples do not attract tax liability, it was found unusual to have mineral
samples shipped in such tonnage.
TYPE "1.5 Tons Of Gold Bound For Iran Seized on Plane In Turkey" VIDEO ON YOU TUBE
GH IS ONE OF THE WORLDS TOP GOLD PRODUCERS. YET 25PERCENT OF ITS POPULATION LIVE UNDER 1 DOLLAR A DAY
Today's gold price = 1658.22 US
12 Troy Ounces in a pound x 3000? lbs.= 36,000 oz
1.5 tons of gold is worth 36,000 oz x 1658.22 = 59,695,920 USD.
MAHAMA, WHERE IS THE MONEY? MAHAMA IS INDIRECTLY HELPING IRAN DODGE ITS UN SANCTIONS. THE UN WONT BE HAPPY WITH GHANA OR MAHAMA
IF IRAN HASNT ALREADY BEEN PAID FOR THIS GOLD. THEN DONT EXPECT THE UN/HAGUE TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS MATTER
THAT MEANS, GH HAS LOST OUT ON ALL THIS MONEY....DUE TO OUR THE GARGANTUAN STUPIDITY OF OUR LEADERS, AGAIN....
FOR THE RECORD, IRAN CONDUCTS A LOT OF BUSINESS WIH TURKEY IN THE FORM OF OIL AND GAS.
SO WE NOW UNDERSTAND WHY TURKEY HAS POSITIONED THEMSELVES IN THIS GOLD SEIZURE ISSUE.
NEARLLY $2 BILLION WORTH OF GOLD WAS SENT TO DUBAI BY IRAN. SUCH TRADES HELP IRAN ESCAPE UN/WESTERN SANCTIONS AGAINST
IRAN. THESE SANCTIONS WERE IMPOSED BY THE UN OVER IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM. BY USING GOLD, IRAN CAN DODGE THESE SANCTIONS...
SO WHY IS GH HELPING THEM. MAHAMA, WAT DO U HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURELF ABOUT THIS? YOU DEY TORCH?
C.Y. ANDY-K 12 years ago

Kofi, all this is just the tip of the brutal corruption that is ongoing in Ghana. Yes, what goes into making Ghanaian magicians, living far above their presumed earnings. When you asked them how they are coping with their mea ...
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Kofi, all this is just the tip of the brutal corruption that is ongoing in Ghana. Yes, what goes into making Ghanaian magicians, living far above their presumed earnings. When you asked them how they are coping with their meagre salaries, they'd respond: Ghanaians are magicians! In actual fact, they are all crooks, charlatans, cheats, bribe givers and takers, hypocrites, accomplices, accessories to the fact of criminal actions, etc., you name it! Not even the kokoase kuraseni are above the mayhem going on! They are part and parcel of it! Just ask them and they'd narrate to you tales of corruption to make you numb!

Smuggling out Ghana's minerals with the active connivance of the people in authority to supervise the system and prevent such leakages is an age old thing. By the '80s, it had turned Lome into a major gold and diamond buying city, with Togo exporting almost as much of those minerals as Ghana in the mid-'80s. Nigeria was also exporting such minerals even though Togo and Nigeria were not known to have gold and diamond mines! Other countries surrounding Ghana were exporting such minerals suspected to have originated from Ghana. The unbanning of galamsey by the PNDC and allowing such people to sell their loot legally in Ghana helped to stem the tide. It also saved many Ghanaians from the clutches of those Levantine master crooks based in Lome and Abidjan who were ripping off novice Ghanaians who tried to sell gold and diamonds to them. A popular trick is to substitute them with fakes under the pretense of going to test them behind the counter, and then get the corrupted gendarmes to lock you up! You have to send SOS back to Ghana for money to pay them bribe to be released on bail and then told to escape to Ghana empty handed! Ok! Ok! I was a victim. I am writing from what befell others from stories told me by people involved and what I read from the defunct "West Africa" magazine, for instance.

I am glad you have lambasted the Mahama regime. Business as usual is something some of us won't tolerate! Ayariga's initial clumsy fumbling, I hope are just teething problems. That country belongs to all of us and we all have a claim on, some of us more so than others by virtue of what our forebears brought to sacrifice at the table to create the smorgasbord that is present Ghana. We shall not continue to sit down unconcern while crooks in cohort with incompetent govt officials and corrupt public officials continue to loot the country!

Andy-K
C.Y. ANDY-K 12 years ago

Gosh! I meant to write: I wasn't a victim.

I had never dabbled in gold and diamonds until some few years back when I met some Brazilians in London who wanted to buy gold from Ghana and wanted me to help. From the enquirie ...
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Gosh! I meant to write: I wasn't a victim.

I had never dabbled in gold and diamonds until some few years back when I met some Brazilians in London who wanted to buy gold from Ghana and wanted me to help. From the enquiries made by a brother, etc., we realised it was a very risky business, with much fraud going on and so did not commit further. The system in place to protect both the buyers and sellers and also ensure proper state supervision to maximise revenue are just too weak! In fact, pathetic!

Andy-K
Charles M 12 years ago

Please i hope all ignorant Ministers read this. Ghana is really ??????doom:

Please i hope all ignorant Ministers read this. Ghana is really ??????doom:
Joe Durex 12 years ago

In a true well governed countries,all those involved including high level officials will face the law but not in NDC NPP governments where cocain turns into other things. People, this is no news since the truth will never com ...
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In a true well governed countries,all those involved including high level officials will face the law but not in NDC NPP governments where cocain turns into other things. People, this is no news since the truth will never come out. Kill judges and get away. Do what ever you want and the party will praise you. The party is the law. Period. What is the oil doing for Ghana? We don't see the money since it goes into the foreign accounts of the government in power. Yewo asem bo nepo.
sie 12 years ago

Yewo asem bo nepo for sure.

Yewo asem bo nepo for sure.

Nii Akwei 12 years ago

President Mahama and those under his command should know the people of Ghana will hold their feet to the fire.

President Mahama and those under his command should know the people of Ghana will hold their feet to the fire.
mensah abrampa 12 years ago

Kofi, I've had cause on occasion to disagree with you on certain pertinent national issues but you've proven beyond any shred of doubt with this write up that you're a true patriot.
This Mahama and co. have not acted respons ...
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Kofi, I've had cause on occasion to disagree with you on certain pertinent national issues but you've proven beyond any shred of doubt with this write up that you're a true patriot.
This Mahama and co. have not acted responsibly in the handling of the first major scandal of the new administration.Heads should have already started rolling but it appears the administration itself is neck deep in the scandal and would prefer to play the delay game and in time sweep the whole thing under the carpet.
It only gets murkier ,doesn't it? After the challenge at the Supreme Court brought against Mahama by the NPP on allegations of electoral fraud in the last presidential election Mahama has by his actions and inactions deepened the suspicions of his complicity in the charges brought before the Supreme Court.He got started on the wrong foot and it'll prove to be his undoing.
This latest scandal is reminiscent of the Iran-Contra Affair.In 1985, while Iran and Iraq were at war, Iran made a secret request to buy arms from the US. McFarlane sought President Reagan's approval inspite of the enbargo against selling arms to Iran.What followed altered the public perception of President Reagan dramatically.It's not going to be any different fo President John Mahama.
Jato P 12 years ago

This breach of national security is because of greedy and corrupt government institutions/officials. This is an embarrassment to the sovereign people of Ghana and the government should apologize to the good people of this cou ...
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This breach of national security is because of greedy and corrupt government institutions/officials. This is an embarrassment to the sovereign people of Ghana and the government should apologize to the good people of this country for such unpardonable lapses in security.
DKB 12 years ago

The earlier we stop insulting each other whiles governments both NPP and NDC takes us all for a ride to no where the better it will be for us
!
If only we could have more of such fine articles rather than the poison from th ...
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The earlier we stop insulting each other whiles governments both NPP and NDC takes us all for a ride to no where the better it will be for us
!
If only we could have more of such fine articles rather than the poison from the likes of Margret Jackson, we would be going a long way to start working together to educate our people and help hold these politicans to account. This is the only Ghana would move forward.
Hazel Hill 12 years ago

Clearly there are no audit trails of flights, paper work etc. Lack of honest people and security. Lessons to be learnt - 1 security badly needed. 2 Paper work must be produced on all going out and into Ghana. 3 Cargo must be ...
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Clearly there are no audit trails of flights, paper work etc. Lack of honest people and security. Lessons to be learnt - 1 security badly needed. 2 Paper work must be produced on all going out and into Ghana. 3 Cargo must be checked against documents provided.

Questions must be answered, and those accounted for. lessons must be learnt and strengthen, so this does not happen again, and the return of the Gold to Ghana. The public must be kept informed, other wise, doing business with Ghana will be damaged.
Nana Yaw III 12 years ago

Kofi,

I have read your article and share your concerns about what is happening in Ghana to-day.

To start with, I find it difficult to understand the speed with which we rush to the press today – government officials, ...
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Kofi,

I have read your article and share your concerns about what is happening in Ghana to-day.

To start with, I find it difficult to understand the speed with which we rush to the press today – government officials, politicians, etc., to respond to or talk about issues, when in principle, some measure of prudence and circumspection before going public can help to a great extent to perform a better job. Add this to the fact that public officials, politicians, and journalists spend much time battling and outdoing each other (at times getting to blows) each morning on radio and TV stations and you have a perfect ground for disorder, misplaced priorities, and to some extent, negligence of duty. Well, this is where we have gotten to in our nation building – it is better to go for a radio show unprepared than to sit in the office and ensure that the right thing is done.

The security situation you denounce is very serious in the country, but is not only restricted to the security sector of our system. The situation spreads across board and eats into every sector of the Ghanaian public sector. And the “smart” ones amongst us (nationals and foreigners) exploit these loopholes to their advantage.

Like you, I have been following this gold scandal, and will like to submit the following comments.

1. Size/Volume of gold shipped: Two different values have been given to the gold - $80 million and $62 million – but all reports coincided with the same weight of 1.5 tonnes. 1.5 tonnes is equal to 1,500 kgs. The standard bar of gold weighs 12.4 kgs, meaning that approximately 121 standard gold bars (with dimensions of 20cm x 8cm x 5cm) was what was loaded and airlifted from Ghana. This can easily be packed on a single euro-pallet (120cm x 80cm) and the whole package will end up with a maximum dimension of 120cm x 80xm x 40cm. It is possible that for ease of loading this could be split in smaller pallets. I have taken time to explain this so that we can picture how easy it is to move this quantity of gold around and load onto a plane with the help of a forklift.
2. The laws of Ghana on gold extraction and exportation are very simple and non-restrictive. As a matter of fact, a licensed medium scale producer can extract, refine and export gold without necessarily passing the export documentation through the PMMC. A medium scale producer in Ghana can produce the stated quantity of gold in three months (some may do this in shorter periods, combining extraction with purchase from smaller dealers); meaning that if such a producer has an order, this can be done and shipped to the buyer after having gone through the necessary clearance procedures.
3. It appears that necessary documentation is the cause of this scandal. Corrupt deals seem to have been the only way this gold managed to go through customs and security checks and leave the shores of the land. It seems that officials placed and paid by the tax-payer’s money failed (possibly after receiving instructions from above and/or taking bribes) to perform their duties, allowed the gold to be shipped as samples without raising a question and cleared the airplane for take-off.
4. I believe the flight-plan of the plane was manifested, as part of a report by the Herald in Ghana (Feb. 2) indicated. The seizure of the plane in Turkey might be attributed to the plane’s emergency landing at a different airport for refuelling instead of its planned airport – which was the Ataturk Airport.
5. The seized plane was released, according to various press reports in international circles on January 18, a day or two before the President’s official visit to Turkey. As a result of this development, I believe it is impossible for the government of Ghana to retrieve the gold from the carrier, as it would by now have been delivered to the owner.

What the government must do is to conclude the investigations (which they should have done by now) and publish the reports now. Secondly all involved in this corrupt deal must be made to pay for the “tax loss” to the country if it is truly a private deal. Any public official directly involved in the alleged falsification of the documentation must be punished and taken off his/her duty. And if it is a political game, the officials must also resign.
Alex London 12 years ago

These officials in whose hands our peace and security are placed are so corrupt they woul would not mind selling ther souls, mothers and country for money.

I was so embarrassed when a non-Ghanain friend called and drew my ...
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These officials in whose hands our peace and security are placed are so corrupt they woul would not mind selling ther souls, mothers and country for money.

I was so embarrassed when a non-Ghanain friend called and drew my attention to the 1.5 tonnes gold story. When I said I was aware of it, he said to me he did not know Ghana has gone BR. When asked what do you mean by BR. His answer was Banana Republic
YAW DONKOR (AUS.) 12 years ago

I think the gold is gone. It is too late for us. I heard about pieces of it but no concrete evidence to base on for challenge. I shut my mouth and stay busy to sustain my poverty as it is.

I think the gold is gone. It is too late for us. I heard about pieces of it but no concrete evidence to base on for challenge. I shut my mouth and stay busy to sustain my poverty as it is.
ADAMA........ 12 years ago

NDC THIEVES. GOD WILL PUNISH THEM ALL

NDC THIEVES. GOD WILL PUNISH THEM ALL
There Is 12 years ago

Yes, Ghana for you and Ghana is the name.
Ghan for you OOOOOOOOOOOO brother!!!!!

Yes, Ghana for you and Ghana is the name.
Ghan for you OOOOOOOOOOOO brother!!!!!

insight to the bone 12 years ago

national security has failed on all points and is practically nonexistent so much so any fool can see the results of the disintegration of the institutions of state slowly crumbling to the vice-grip of widespread corruption ...
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national security has failed on all points and is practically nonexistent so much so any fool can see the results of the disintegration of the institutions of state slowly crumbling to the vice-grip of widespread corruption and incompetence. they now want to shoot some priest for saying the president will die but what they dont see is that the president is already dead a walking zombie . what would have happened if obama had not respected to spirit of the institution of presidency and presented a cabinet dominated by his chicago homies or indulged in out of the ordinary meetings with controversial characters or these strange financial transactions with gold . in short the national security is being rule by incompetent amateurs who are not capable of advising the institution of the presidency of the pros and cons of any action instead they walk around like glorified night watchmen just chopping the tax payers money
Akadu Mensema 12 years ago

The people of Ghana are disempowered and there are people here who would troop out to defend the culprits and thieves!

The people of Ghana are disempowered and there are people here who would troop out to defend the culprits and thieves!
KNYC (USMC) 12 years ago

Thank You Kofi for taking the time to write this Article. We the people should be inform. We are leting people get away with things. Very soon it will become part of our life. Ghana is going down because of few MORONS in pos ...
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Thank You Kofi for taking the time to write this Article. We the people should be inform. We are leting people get away with things. Very soon it will become part of our life. Ghana is going down because of few MORONS in position of interest.

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$80m Gold Fraud: Are Security Agencies Failing Ghana?

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