Menzgold & Conflicting Reports, Questions Gov’t Must Answer

                                     file Photo: Menzgold Hq.

Hoping against hope, many aggrieved customers of Menzgold already may have prevailed in ceaseless prayers for some good news; believing their investments haven’t gone bad as is increasingly being portrayed. If for nothing at all, they trust the government, and other responsible national institutions like the police and others to make their faith a reality.

But how can this be? When it appears government, the Ghana police service, and the BNI are not providing accurate information and update on the whereabout and the way forward to Ghanaians especially the aggrieved customers of Menzgold.

Interrogating Latest Developments on Menzgold Saga

On January 9, Gabby Asare Otchere- Darko on facebook hints of NAM1 bleaching a bail condition by absconding, information which has led us to where we are currently.

Acting on the said information, the Ghanaian media acted swiftly by contacting the police hierarchy which had denied any truth with the said information. According to the police, there had been a no arrest of NAM1 to think of granting him bail in the first place.

The twist later was that he was invited by the BNI to help with investigations but was subsequently granted bail. But come to think of it, how on earth can the BNI decide on investigating such a sensitive matter without anywhere alerting the police? One might be right in thinking the BNI wasn’t obliged to do so. If at all the police had no right to know, how did Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko come to hear of this to the extent of knowing he was granted bail? And how did he even come to know NAM1 was not in the country which had prompted his facebook post.

Interestingly, few hours after confirming there have at no point invited NAM1, or arrested him; the police issued an arrest warrant to the effect.

What did make the rounds then was a communique issued by the police to the effect asking for the assistance of Interpol across hundred and fifty countries.

Did the police really declare him wanted? I am forced to believe the issued communique circulated within only the media. Beyond this, it never crossed our borders to even think of getting to Interpol. Because until now, a check from Interpol’s website reveals only one individual declared as wanted in Ghana, which obviously is not NAM1.(https://www.interpol.int/notice/search/wanted/2018-82908)

The question then is, if the police did nothing of a sort, who are they out to please? I fear I have not the answer to this.

Many have also wondered the exact terms of the bail granted NAM1. And they are right in thinking so. If at all he was granted bail considering his clout as a person, the first thing an institution like the BNI would have requested for was his passport. So how did he leave the country to start with?

Another angle to this is who are his sureties? Couldn’t they have helped in leading us to his whereabouts when it became apparent he was out of the country?

The questions raised, no matter what ensued in the coming weeks remain relevant. It should aid you to side with me that government have left many questions unanswered than answered.

It is now public knowledge that NAM1 was arrested by the Dubai police on December 4, a month after he was declared wanted by our own police. Is it possible for the police of a different jurisdiction without intimating his country of origin about it?  What about the Ghanaian consulate in Dubai? If not for such related matters, what then is the use of such establishments?

What has been the stance of the government in relation to Menzgold investors? According to the government, it would not ‘doll out’ even a piece of the taxpayers’ money to anyone who had invested with Menzgold. In its wisdom the people did not only invest out of greed, but insubordination.

As held by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Attah and has been re-echoed by the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the people (investors) turned deaf ears to the warnings of the regulatory bodies, when they were cautioned against dealing with Menzgold.

Assuming government is right with the stance taken, what about the very persons within government including the president himself, who continually entertained NAM1 around them? Are they not culpable, guilty and deserving of equal treatment as the investors who ignored the warnings of the regulatory bodies?

The question is, did these people not know that being seen with NAM1 everywhere in public would have been reason enough for many of these investors to have engaged with Menzgold?

Many questions, fewer answers. But one thing is for such, the more attempts by government to exonerate itself of blame, the more it gets implicated.

The fact is, I think we all have reasons not to trust government, especially with the way it has handled this issue, thus far. And if the people’s representatives can’t have the peoples trust then we are at a doom’s end. I just hope this is a no case of conspiracy or create, loot and share.