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The police have denied media reports alleging that they are investigating an alleged stolen car scandal involving the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashitey. According to Superintendent Frank Adufati, the Accra Regional Crime Officer, his office was not investigating any case of a stolen Lexus 4�4 involving the regional minister. In an interview with Daily Guide in his office yesterday, Superintendent Adufati said in June this year, Nii Armah Ashitey reported to his office, a fraud case against one Eddy Kwarteng, a car dealer. The regional minister alleged that Eddy Kwarteng collected an amount of $50,000 from him under the pretext of getting him a Lexus 4x 4 vehicles since 2009. He said the money given to Eddy Kwarteng was part of a loan facility given to Members of Parliament to get themselves vehicles. �The suspect, after collecting the money, could not supply the vehicle for more than one year and when Mr. Ashitey finally contacted him for the money, suspect gave him an empty Standard Chartered bank cheque to cash his money.� The suspect, after issuing the cheque, allegedly went into hiding, the police officer said. �Suspect Eddy Kwarteng, upon arrest, admitted having collected the said amount from the regional minister,� he said. He however pleaded that police should give him two weeks to refund the money. He was then given a police enquiry bail with a surety to report to the station until the matter was over. Police therefore forwarded the docket to the Attorney-General�s Department for advice. �After reporting for some days, suspect Eddy Kwarteng, together with one Lawyer J. K. Yeboah, stormed my office with a letter that stated his (Yeboah) client would not report again to the police since he was engaged in a genuine business deal with the Minister.� The letter also stated that if the police felt Kwarteng was culpable of any offence, they should issue him with criminal summons to appear in court to battle out the case. The letter, which was signed by Mr Yeboah, said his client had already �made payment of $50,000 to his supplier, which the said supplier is awaiting the balance to be sent to him in the USA�. Superintendent Adufati questioned that if the vehicle had not yet been brought to Ghana, �how then could anybody conjecture that the said car has now turned into a stolen car�? The Accra Regional Crime Officer said the man who stood as a surety to bail the suspect was arraigned to produce Kwarteng but the same Lawyer Yeboah told the court that his client was not in the country. The case is pending before court and has been adjourned to September 8, 2011. Meanwhile, the Ghana branch of the International Police (Interpol) has debunked the allegation that it had impounded the alleged stolen vehicle. The Interpol said they were not investigating any case of a stolen Lexus 4�4 involving anybody. Checks at the Tema Port by Interpol have established that no such case had been brought to their attention. It has therefore challenged all those making such claims against the minister to come forward to substantiate their allegations. Nii Armah Ashietey has taken exception to the allegation that he was engaging in fraudulent deals with Chief Superintendent Frank Adufati. Speaking to Daily Guide, the regional minister, who doubles as the MP for Klottey Korle, said Kwarteng�s lawyer viciously attacked him in a manner tantamount to the breach of his professional code of ethics, especially as he was aware that one need not comment on such a sensitive case without having the full facts. Hon. Ashietey told Daily Guide that he paid an amount of $50,000 to Eddy Kwarteng to deliver to him a Lexus 4�4 but since a year-and-a-half, no car had been delivered. The minister said the $50,000 was the loan Parliament gave to all MPs to buy cars, adding that the car dealer had denied him the enjoyment of that facility. He said he decided to report the matter to the police after he realized that Kwarteng made no attempt to deliver the car. The Klottey Korle MP expressed surprised that he was being linked to a stolen car.