Suspected fraudster arrested again

Page 47: Daily Graphic, August 3, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
LESS than 24 hours after a suspected fraudster, Richard Kumah, 45, had been released on police enquiry bail by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for fraud, he was arrested again by the Accra Regional Police Command for allegedly dealing in fake currency.
The suspect, who had been in custody at the CID Headquarters since July 30, 2009, was arrested at dawn on Saturday, August 1, 2009 after he had been granted the police enquiry bail on Friday, July 31, 2009 for allegedly defrauding an American businessman of more than $86,000.
Kumah was arrested by the Accra Regional Police Command in a special operation led by its Deputy Commander, ACP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, resulting in the retrieval of a trunk load of suspected fake dollars.
An attempt to bribe the police with $5,000 for them to deal with the matter privately was turned down.
Minutes after his arrest at his home at Kisseman in Accra, Kumah used his cell phone to flash a senior police officer (name withheld) for reasons he refused to divulge to the police team.
Unfortunately for the suspect, when the senior officer called, he informed the police team that Kumah was to be put before court on Monday, August 3, 2009 on charges of fraud.
Three of the suspect’s four-by-four vehicles, including a Lincoln Navigator fitted with DVD video systems, were towed to the Accra Regional Police Command, while his two magnificent houses were put under police guard.
Kumah has, however, denied dealing in fake currency, alleging that the trunk load of dollars, which is estimated to be more than $10 million, belonged to a deceased Alhaji.
One of the bundles which the Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Rose Bio Atinga, showed to the newsmen bore the same serial number, AB 91022272.
All the bills in the trunk were $100 bills. Pieces of paper cut to the size of the dollar bills were also stashed in between some of the fake bills.
Briefing newsmen in Accra on Saturday, DCOP Atinga said the police had intelligence that the suspect dealt in fake currency.
She said ACP Yohuno worked on the intelligence and when it was affirmed that it was genuine, the police decided to strike about 4 a.m. on Saturday, August 1, 2009.
She said the trunk load of fake dollars was hidden among lorry tyres and other accoutrements in a corner of the suspect’s house.
She expressed concern over the activities of fake currency dealers, as they posed serious economic challenges to the Ghanaian economy.
She explained that apart from causing inflationary tendencies in the economy, dealers in fake currency tended to drive away genuine investors for fear of being defrauded.
DCOP Atinga appealed to members of the public to always visit accredited forex bureaux for their foreign exchange transactions, instead of going to the black market.
ACP Yohuno urged Ghanaians who wanted to make money to engage in genuine businesses and not fake currency, drugs or other criminal activities.
He said anytime inflation went up, Ghanaians turned around to blame the government in power but said it was through the nefarious activities of fake currency dealers and money launderers that the economy suffered.
He appealed to members of the public to assist the police with information on any suspicious dealings of persons within their communities to enable the police to investigate their backgrounds.
On the suspect’s fraud case at the CID Headquarters, the Head of the Vetting and Criminal Intelligence Analysis (VCIA) of the CID, Superintendent Dennis Akob Abade, told the Daily Graphic that Kumah, who is the Chief Executive of Riandre Mining Ltd, promised to provide gold for his unsuspecting victim, Mr Richard Gallman, the Chief Executive and President of Amerigold Universal Outreach Incorporated.
He said after making his victim to part with more than $86,000, Kumah started playing hide and seek with him.
According to Supt Abade, Kumah was arrested following investigations into a complaint lodged by the victim.