Concerned Citizens Demand Probe into Alleged Unlicensed Role in GoldBod—Calls for Suspension, Full Disclosure!
A group that calls itself Concerned Citizens of Ghana has asked state investigative bodies to look into the alleged illegal involvement of an unlicensed and investigated person in Ghana’s GoldBod operations. They warned that this could lead to abuse and financial loss for the state.
The citizens wrote a letter to the Office of the Attorney-General, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), and the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) to express their “grave concerns” about the actions of Mr. Roger Frimpong Kwakye.
The petition says that Mr. Kwakye, who is reportedly being investigated by the OSP for “financial loss to the State,” is a key player in important GoldBod activities even though his company, Goldstrom, is not licensed under the GoldBod regime.
The petitioners say that this is a clear violation of the GoldBod Act, which says that only certified and licensed businesses can do important things like assaying, smelting, and pricing gold.
“How can someone who is being seriously investigated for a crime, including one that could cost the State money, meet the fit-and-proper standard needed to take part in, affect, and shape GoldBod operations?” The petition asks.
Claims of problems with the contract
According to the document, Mr. Kwakye, who is the Managing Director of Goldstrom Ghana, has allegedly hired his refinery in another country to test and melt gold for BAWA-ROCK LTD on behalf of Ghana GoldBod. It also says that he has been using WhatsApp to help license holders get their money and that he was hired to set up traceability training without going through the proper channels.
“The GoldBod Act was passed to stop exactly this kind of capture, manipulation, and abuse,” the petitioners said, arguing that the alleged arrangements go against Parliament’s goal of protecting the national interest, stopping capital flight, and making sure everything is clear.
They were worried that someone who was involved in previous investigations into the alleged waste of about USD 90 million of MIIF Gold for Forex (G4F) funds is now part of the sensitive national gold value chain.
Official Calls for Action
The Concerned Citizens have asked the state agencies for three important things. They want an immediate investigation into Mr. Kwakye’s role, Goldstrom’s involvement, and the legality of all contracts related to the case.
They also want anyone or anything working in GoldBod without the proper license or employment status under the Act to be put on hold.
Lastly, they want to see all of the contracts that are relevant and the due diligence steps that were taken to choose vendors.
The petition says that CCTV footage from GoldBod’s buildings, traders’ WhatsApp pages, and Zoom meeting records can be used as evidence.
