Eight suspects including a Police Officer, and two Turkish nationals have been arrested and charged with offenses related to a $523,000 gold scam.
The suspects are Samuel Adu Kumi, Benjamin Kakpo Addoquaye, Isaac Offei, Benjamin Kologo, Isaac Tieku, and Staff Sergeant Isaac Akwasi Aning, and two Turkish nationals, whose names are yet to be identified.
According to the report, the suspects were grabbed last week and were arraigned before court, where they pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, defrauding by false pretense, and money laundering.
The Prosecutor, Ms. Selasi Kuwornu, told the court that on November 24, 2023, National Security received intelligence about individuals planning to scam two foreigners involved in gold trading. Following the intelligence, personnel intercepted and arrested some of the accused on November 28, 2023, seizing suspected fake gold bars.
According to the Prosecutor, investigations revealed a plan to sell fake gold to Turkish nationals, with the involvement of the accused in various roles, including providing security personnel to feign arrests and issuing fake gold test reports.
The accused were charged based on their alleged roles in the scam, with the prosecution detailing the transfer of $523,000 into the account of Benkotec Refinery for the purchase and shipment of the fake gold bars.
The Prosecutor continued that Samuel Adu Kumi denied a separate charge of selling gold without a license, while Benjamin Kakpo Addoquaye and Isaac Offei denied charges of corrupting a public officer.
The victims, Omer Topcu and Mustafa Ceyhan, who bought fake gold, were also charged with buying gold without a license.
Each accused was granted bail of GHC500,000, with the Ghanaian defendants required to produce two sureties with one justification each owning landed property.
The sureties for the two foreign victims had no such requirement.
The prosecution said as part of their bail conditions, the accused were ordered to report to the arresting unit every Monday at the beginning of each month and deposit their passports at the court registry.
The Prosecutor, Ms. Selasi Kuwornu, added that compliance with previous court orders, filing all witness statements and disclosures.
Meanwhile, the case was adjourned to May 14 for the Case Management Conference.
BY Daniel Bampoe
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