The Accra Circuit Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of two bankers for allegedly operating an illegal microfinance company and duping another banker of Gh¢40,000.
Gideon Asamoah Asante and Prince Takyi Turkson, together with Albert Akrofi Ocansey and Kofi Osam Armah, all bankers, are alleged to have operated an illegal microfinance company and used it to defraud people.
The prosecution claim the bankers created a company known as Mak Asset Management Limited and used it to conduct their illegal business.
The four bankers have been charged with conspiracy to carry out banking business without license, carrying out banking business without license, conspiracy to defraud by false pretence and defrauding by false pretence
On the run
When the case was called last Wednesda, the court, presided over by Mrs Janet Harriet Akweley Quaye, Asante and Turkson were missing in action.
The prosecutor, Detective Chief Inspector Isaac Agbemehia, informed the court that the two were currently on the run, leading to the court to issue a bench warrant for their arrest.
Ocansey and Armah, who were present, pleaded not guilty to all the charges and were granted bail in the sum of Ghc 100, 000 each with two sureties each.
At the hearing, they issued a cheque of Ghc 2,000 as part payment for the Ghc 40,000
“Illegal operations”
Detective Chief Inspector Agbemehia said that in July 2012, Asamoah, Turkson, Ocansey and Armah established Mak Asset Management Limited and got a license from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to strictly operate an investment advisory firm and any banking related activities.
“However, the bankers veered from their core objectives and engaged in Microfinancing and other banking related activities.
They presented the company to the general public as Microfinance company and started taking deposits from unsuspecting people with a promise of high interest rate,” he said.
The prosecutor explained that the SEC got wind of the scheme and revoked the license of the company.
In spite of this development, Detective Inspector Agbemehia said the four individuals continued to operate and on October 16,
2015, they collected Gh¢40,000 from another banker, who was the complainant, as deposit.
According to him, they promised the banker a 33 per cent annual interest rate.
“On October 15, 2016, which was the maturity date, the banker made a request for her fund but Asamoah, Turkson, Ocansey and Armah failed to give her the money,” the prosecutor added.
She, therefore, reported the matter leading to their arrest.
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