The National Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, has vehemently condemned Sammy Gyamfi, Acting CEO of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), over a controversial video showing him handing out large sums of U.S. dollars to Patricia Oduro Koranteng, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, a former fetish priestess turned evangelist.
At a press conference, Boakye described Gyamfi’s actions as reckless and inappropriate, alleging that these funds are proceeds of unlawful or criminal enterprise by Sammy Gyamfi.
He stated “Thousands of United States dollars found in his car, seen in the video, widely circulated on social media. These funds are proceeds of unlawful or criminal enterprise by Mr. Sammy Gyamfi.”
He called for urgent intervention by investigative agencies and the President to suspend Gyamfi and launch a thorough probe into the source of the funds.
Boakye highlighted that the possession and distribution of such large sums of money could constitute a breach of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (Act 1044), which criminalizes the concealment or transfer of proceeds from unlawful activities with penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment.
He explained “Section 1 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, Act 1044 makes the possession, concealment, conversion, disguise or transfer that is or forms part of an unlawful activity an offence punishable by a term of imprisonment or up to 10 years”.
He pointed out the irony that Gyamfi had previously invoked the same law to criticize others, yet now appears to be in violation himself.
“Do not forget that this is the same section, the same provision, Mr. Sammy Gyamfi used in criticizing Madam Cecilia Dapaah and he says that he was clear, this is the same provision” Boakye recalled.
The NPP organizer demanded swift intervention by the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and other investigative bodies.
“We call on the lawful establishment investigative agencies of states, the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Criminal Investigation Department, CIA, Ghana Police to investigate the activities of Sammy Gyamfi in his short tenure as Acting Chief Executive Officer. And again, we have been told that all appointees, including ministers, they have not even received their salaries since they had the appointment all of them. That is the information we have”
He urged a comprehensive probe into Gyamfi’s financial dealings during his brief tenure as Acting CEO of both the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) and GoldBod.
Boakye also called for searches of Gyamfi’s properties and potential prosecution if the source of the money cannot be satisfactorily explained.
He emphasized “These bodies must search all his houses, probe any properties acquired in his estate, so far in government, and if possible, prosecute him for failure to show the source of the huge sums of money found in his possession, out of which he gleefully sprayed some around”
Nana B added “You all saw the video in how he counted the dollars as if it was a counting machine. Very, very fast. And afterwards, and you saw where he even picked the money from, you can see that, yes, you have a lot of it stacked in there. And then, how he gleefully was counting the money to Madam Agrada. And then, Madam Agrada, also out of insufficient spirit, grabbed all”.
Source :www.kumasimail.com /Kwadwo Owusu
