Government condemns politicization of Menzgold saga

government react to AK 47 rifles — Minister of Inforrmation Kojo Oppong Nkrumah

The Government has expressed disgust over the insensitive and partisan politicization that has characterised discussions of the Menzgold saga and urged political parties to refrain from desperate attempts to score non-existent political points.

Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, addressing a news briefing in Accra, on Thursday, urged the media to prioritise the issues of concern to the aggrieved Menzgold customers and interrogate those matters and avoid the “pollution” that had characterized the discourse.

He said Government was focused on using the security agencies and judicial processes, either civil or criminal, to recover customers locked up investments in Menzgold.

The Minister said, now that the security agencies had received reports from the aggrieved customers about the defraud by false pretences, they would employ all powers of the State, including warrant of arrest, extradition and other judicial processes to investigate the accused person so that the law would take its course.

He reiterated government’s earlier expression of not paying Menzgold customers with taxpayers’ money and sympathised with customers and clients of the embattled gold dealership firm, urging Ghanaians to remain calm while a solution is found to the matter.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah disagreed with the assertions that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) was not quick to act on the matter, saying that, when EOCO instituted an enquiry into the operations of Menzgold last year, following a directive from the Securities and Exchange Commission ordering the company to halt its gold vault business, some Ghanaians even questioned EOCO for interfering in someone’s “legitimate business”.

Answering a question on the reported government delegation to Dubia, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said it was rather a delegation of security operatives, including a Deputy Attorney-General, to provide legal advice to the team.

Members of the delegation to Dubai include Interpol, Ghana Police Service, Criminal Investigations Department and a Deputy Attorney General.

He said the team wanted to get a deeper understanding of the nature of charges levelled against the Menzgold owner, Nana Appiah Mensah, by the Dubai Police and explore the possibility of extradition since Ghana had no extradition treaty with the UAE.

He said it was prudent to allow the team to complete its fact-finding mission in Dubai and upon their arrival home, Ghanaians would be apprised on the issues.

GNA