Two held over $2m scam

Page 16: Daily Graphic, August 6, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE police have arrested two persons in connection with two different scams from which they reportedly reaped nearly $2 million.
The first person, a Sports Development Officer of the National Sports Council (NSC), James Armah, was arrested by the police for his alleged involvement in sending players other than the deaf and dumb to Australia in July for an international friendly.
The coach of the team, identified by the police as Winfred Chartey, is currently being sought after by the police.
In the second scam, a business executive, Mohammed Hafis Abdallah, was arrested for swindling an American of $1.9 million.
Hafis, who is said to be the Chief Executive of Halfred Company Ltd, was supposed to supply 320 kilogrammes of gold dust to Dubai-based Omega Strategic Services, owned by an American.
Touching on the deaf and dumb case at a news conference in Accra yesterday, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, DCOP Frank Adu-Poku, said Armah and his accomplices were alleged to have collected $4,000 each from about 25 hearing Ghanaians to represent the country in an international friendly organised by the Deaf Football Association of Australia.
Sadly, he said, none of the “deaf and dumb” players returned after the trip.
The Ghana News Agency (GNA) reported on August 4, 2009 that the Australian authorities had threatened to drag the Association of Sports for the Disabled of Ghana (ASBOD) to the International Sports Confederation for the Disabled (ISCD) for sanctions, after allegations that Ghana sent hearing players to Australia for the international friendly.
It said the Deaf Football Association of Australia was also demanding US$14,789 from Ghana as refund which covered the cost incurred on Ghana's contingent in Australia, with a deadline fixed for August 14, 2009.
A letter sent to the secretariat of ASBOD and signed by Brian Seymour, the Secretary of the Deaf Football Association of Australia, said, "I'm writing to inform you that Deaf Football Australia and its deaf community are very disappointed and disgusted with your organisation sending hearing players to an international assignment."
It said "the invoice is for expenses for 39 persons who travelled to Australia”.
With regard to the gold scam, Mr Adu-Poku said the suspect signed a contract with Omega Strategic Services for the supply of the gold dust.
He said after the contract, the Dubai-based firm remitted $1.9 million to the suspect through Amalgamated Bank Ltd in June this year.
He said the suspect then withdrew $1.6 million, leaving $300,000 in the account.
Mr Adu-Poku said when the suspect got wind that the police were after him, he threatened to kill anyone who came to effect his arrest.
He said the police, however, undertook a special operation which resulted in his arrest as soon as he came out of his bedroom.