COP Prosper Agblor
Officers from the Commercial Crime Unit (CCU) of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters in Accra are on the heels of seven directors of Onward Investment Ghana Limited for operating a microfinance organization without licence.
The seven are Okone Bassey, General Manager, Michael Johnson, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and owner and Prince Nwuoma Essien, Senior Manager, all Nigerians.
The rest are Timothy Akwasi Ababio, Marketing Executive, Mohamed Baba Saleh, Accountant, Simon Yaw Nyarko, a teacher and Lawrence Mensah, a businessman, all Ghanaians.
Commissioner of Police (COP) Prosper Agblor, Director-General, CID, told the media yesterday in Accra that the seven were among the management team of the Nigerian-owned company which was operating fraudulently in the country without the right permit from the Bank of Ghana (BoG).
In January 2012, a complaint received from the BOG indicated that Onward Investment Ghana Limited was taking deposits from clients as well as paying interest even though it was not licensed. It has four branches across the country in Accra, Kumasi, Techiman and Sunyani.
Subsequently, five workers in various managerial positions were picked up by the police and later granted bail.
They are Evans Nunoo, 28, operations manager, Kumasi branch, Richard Samah, 28, Accounts Manager, Accra branch, Alexander James Mills, 40, a contractor and director, Michael Abassey Etim, 39, the company’s forex trainer and on-line trader and Hubert Attah Appiah, 21, cleaner.
Hubert was arrested while in possession of an amount of $118,000 he took from the Accra branch on the run to Kumasi on the instructions of the accounts manager Richard Samah.
Eight other employees who were also arrested in connection with the case told the police they were not privy to the illegal operations of the company. They were also granted bail to assist with investigations.
The police chief appealed to members of the general public who might have knowledge of the whereabouts of the runaway managers to alert the police.
COP Agblor also cautioned the public to be wary of persons who use very attractive interest rates to attract people to invest with them since they have no operating licence.
He noted that operators of such facilities defrauded gullible members of the public.
“Persons with information are kindly requested to call at the Commercial Crime Unit of the CID Headquarters on the 5th floor to report to the Director CCU, Superintendent Felix Mawusi or call 020 8119726.”
BY Rocklyn Antonio