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The Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) has picked up two officials of the Geological Survey Department (GSD) for questioning in connection with the controversial export of $80 million gold from Ghana to Iran which was seized in Turkey. The two, Dr Thomas Adu Deputy Director, GSD and Justice Adom, Senior Technical Officer of the Department were picked up on Wednesday, according to Peacefmonline.com sources. The arrest follows reports of the seizure of an aircraft in Istanbul, Turkey, allegedly carrying 1.5 tonnes of gold originating from Ghana and destined for the Islamic Republic of Iran. It will be recalled that sections of the media reported on the supposed gold bars recently seized at Istanbul-Turkey due to lack of documents. It was widely conjectured that the said shipment was payment by Ghana in respect of some financial transaction with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Government, in two separate responses, denied any involvement in the use of gold to settle any transaction with the Government of Iran. Following that denial, President John Dramani Mahama directed that the matter be investigated by the security agencies. Even before the BNI could come out with its initial findings, sections of the media published that the US$80 million supposed gold bars, have mysteriously changed into �thirty (30) boxes of mineral samples weighing 1,500kgs�. The BNI's Preliminary investigations revealed that the transaction was purely private with no official government involvement and named two Ghanaians in the controversial gold transaction. According to preliminary investigations, Peter Bedzrah and Fredrick Kojo Essumang, operating under the corporate identity of Omanye Gold Mining Ltd were involved in a transaction to supply gold to one Vahid Moradi Moghaddam. BNI Initial Findings A ULS cargo aircraft (Airbus 300-B4) arrived at the Kotoka International Airport from Tripoli, Libya and filed a Landing Clearance Request form in which they indicated that they were to lift gold bars as their cargo. The consignment arrived at the KIA for pre-export formalities under two certificates for �mineral samples� for �laboratory analysis only and of no commercial value� both signed for the Director of Geological Survey by one Dr Thomas Adu but with one dated 31st December 2012 and the second dated 7th January 2013. The said �mineral samples� were consigned to an address in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to the BNI, at the airport, one Isaac Anakwa Asante, Head of Operations of Menzies Airline Handling Services which handled the aircraft from touchdown to departure and who inspected the cargo before scanning by Nick TC-Scan reported sighting gold bars. The exporter, Kofi Bedzrah of Omanye Gold Mining Ltd also insists his company exported gold bars of 1.5 tonnes. He claims it is worth $62,000,000. The BNI�s preliminary report of investigations which was made known to the public over the weekend by the Information Minister, Mahama Ayariga, however, added that the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (CD/GRA) Instructions for the Dispatch of Goods (IDG) form entered the goods as �mineral samples�. The pre-departure formalities were endorsed by Kwesi Avemee, a collector of CD/GRA and Albert Kan Dapaah, a Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) official. While mineral samples do not attract tax liability, it was found unusual to have mineral samples shipped in such tonnage. More soon...