CID, EOCO Close In On Signature Forgery Suspects

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, and the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), are close to unraveling the persons behind the forgery of the signature of Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister of Energy and Petroleum, to acquire an oil block. Prosper Agblor, Director�General in charge of the CID, confirmed to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday, that one Charles Andoh, a former employee of Miura Petroleum Limited (MPL), has admitted to the Police that he forged the signatures of both the Minister and the Managing Director of MPL. Commissioner of Police (COP) Agblor said Andoh is on Police Enquiry Bail, but has not been reporting himself to the Police since he was granted bail on April 17. As a result, Andoh�s sureties have been ordered to produce him on the date fixed for his appearance in court, that is, Wednesday, May 28, or face the consequences. Narrating the circumstances leading to the forgery, the CID Boss said, in December last year, MPL, a company which is into oil exploration and development in the country, applied to the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum for exploration and development site, in respect of Offshore Cape Three Points Oil Block. The company was denied, but was asked to re-apply for another block. While awaiting the re-application, there emerged online publications in Offshore Energy, Today, and Petroleum Africa Magazines, that the Ministry had exclusively united a Canadian Oil Company, Gondwana Oil Company, to take up the Offshore Cape Three Points Oil Block. The CID Director�General said the publication was found to be false, and investigation revealed it was actuated by letters allegedly forged on the letter heads of both the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, and the MPL, and forwarded to Gondwana Oil Company. The suspected forged letters had signature purported to be those of the Energy Minister and the MD of MPL and according to COP Agblor, both personalities have denied any knowledge of the letters.