ACCRA - "Lies, Corruption, Influence peddling, Money laundering... Ghana is crumbling under white-collar crimes," says whistle-blower
If famed investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Ana’s name rings a bell, you might think you have heard it all in the land of Kwame Nkrumah, but you are in for the shock of a lifetime in what could be the scandal of the century in Ghana.
Eyes popping out and ears stuck to the ground, we pocked the anthill until the queen of all Ghana's corruption was uncovered, with mind-boggling evidence.
From the highest level of the Executive Branch, across the Judicial system, to State and Local Government, down to the board of a major bank, millions of euros are illegally changing hands whilst oblivious honest citizens drenched in sweat, keep on foraging for a meagre subsistence.
From abroad and inside Ghana's borders, white-collar criminals are laundering millions of Euros, all backed up with life-threatening and intimidating phone calls to witnesses reluctant to keep their tails between their legs. A whistleblower amongst our numerous sources on the ground, vows to provide you with a front-row seat at the bloodsucking recital of the Million-dollar tale of his struggle to keep the vultures at bay.
"The fruit is ripe," he says.
The story takes place at the peak of the covid-19 pandemic crisis, starting with an ordinary meeting between a Ghanaian landowner and an Asian intermediary (Monseler Germany).
Then, the plot starts thickening when Ghana Commercial Bank, the German Deutsche Bank, a German CID (Central Investigative Division) officer and the High Court of Justice, Commercial division Court 6 ACCRA find themselves at the heart of the matters because Bank Of Ghana masked a 9.5Million Euros (Part of a 35.000.000 Euros initial deposit) transaction that should have been transferred to GCB Ghana Commercial bank) on behalf of a timber plantation owner.
As this story goes to print, the National Whistleblower Legal Defense & Education Fund and international investigative teams are sifting through hundred of pages of evidence and listening to phone conversations, in an attempt to bring to justice the gravediggers of Ghana's economy.
Despite daily threatening phone calls from shady individuals, our man on the ground tells us he will not budge for the sake of Ghana.
Mr F, as we will call him for security reasons, has now given us the exclusivity of his story because, in his own words, “Millions of euros are being exchanged between the German Deutsche Bank, Bank of Ghana and top politicians in the country.
“If I don't blow the whistle on this, our economy will go down the drain in no time," he says.
During the month of November 2020, Mr F. came into contact with an alleged land inspector (Monseler Germany). The land inspector acknowledged that Mr F. was involved in the community and industrial plantations of timber, so he wanted to inspect and buy one of those plantations.
Alwin the inspector, an Indian gentleman who gave his address as C10 in Kumasi, claimed he had buyers in Germany who would be interested in the timber. Mr F eagerly took him to the plantations for inspection.
Afterwards, Alwin travelled to his country to draw up sales contracts of 65 Million Euros of which, the first payment would be 9.5 million in addition to a 35 million Euros transfer.
Before the first wire to Mr F account in Ghana, the phone rang; it was Alwin, from his native India. He wanted F. to agree on sharing the first payment with his party; he wanted 60% of the money to them and 40% to Mr F. This aroused Mr F suspicion, as buying a plantation seemed to turn into a sharing of the proceeds of a different kind.
“On April 9, 2021, I called Alwin,” says Mr F. “I suspect you are trying to use me for money laundering. I am not interested, so you should reverse that transaction with the banks.
That evening, I had a strange telephone call from a person who identified himself as John, claiming to know the source of the money. He clearly said I should agree to share or lose out. I decided to call Alwin, but he has been unreachable since that night”.
“John introduced himself as a Ghanaian politician. He told me if I agreed to his deal, I would get a 40% share of the money that had been wired from Germany's Deutsche Bank to the Bank of Ghana, and the government will receive the remainder; I knew then that the other party Alwin was talking about, was our government”.
Mr F refused to take part in the scheme to launder money and subsequently asked for evidence and account balance, which he will produce in our upcoming articles.
Bank of Ghana and Ghana Commercial bank claimed they did not receive any funds, so Mr F proceeded to lodge a complaint with the High Court of Justice, Commercial division Court 6 ACCRA, but lo and behold, in a shocking development, the case was dismissed. Mr F was issued with a fine of 2000 Ghana Cedis, in favour of G.C.B and B.O.G. Mr F refused to pay the fine. It has not been reclaimed by the Court.
Mr F. is now swearing not to go away, as he is convinced that, with all the evidence in his possession, his bank accounts and hundreds of accounts across Ghana are being used by dirty criminals to launder filthy money.
“I will expose them all. 9.5 Million Euros were transferred to GHCBGHAC from DEUTDEDB101 at 10:29:11 GMT+1 on 07/04/2021, in reference to the deal proposed by Alwin the Monseler who has since disappeared. the SWIFT TRACER and all other invoices and evidence are available,” he says.
Is Monseler Germany in Bed with Bank Of Ghana? Who is John the politician who wants 60% of the money? Why is B.O.G masking the transfer, when Swift records are available? More to come...
Story Published on 26/09/2021
By Claude B.Djaquis in Washington D.C and Klaus Jenkins in ACCRA (Ghana).
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