A Dubai based Ghanaian businessman, Mr. Kennedy Agyapong, has been cited for fraud, following assessment of the 2016 Auditor-General’s report presented to the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.
According to the Auditor-General’s report, the businessman recruited two stranded Ghanaian ladies through a Ghana-Dubai agency, Maid Services Agency, with the intention of selling them at the United Arab Emirates to serve as house maids.
During the process of the business transaction, Mr. Agyapong is reported to have defrauded the Maid Services Agency and gone into hiding.
Intelligence information gathered by the Police Service of Dubai about the action of the businessman necessitated a search on him, but he was nowhere to be found. He was subsequently declared wanted in Dubai.
The disappearance of Mr. Agyapong in Dubai has left the burden on the Ghanaian mission in Dubai to refund the money to the Maid Services Agency.
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) briefing
The Director of Finance at the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Bismarck Amoako, indicated at the Public Accounts Committee sitting in Parliament that the illegal operations of Mr. Agyapong were brought to the attention of the mission in Dubai and a refund to the affected agency was demanded.
Mr. Amoako added that the mission had to make payments to the tune of AED 2,075.00 on behalf of the two stranded Ghanaians.
In his submission, he reiterated that Mr. Agyapong’s attention was drawn to the issue and he only refunded AED1,000 on April 1, 2016, leaving an outstanding debt of AED1,075.
Mr. Amoako informed the committee that Mr. Agyapong cannot be traced for the remaining amount.
Mr. Amoako disclosed to the committee that such incidents constantly happen and the Ghana missions abroad are always contacted to intervene in such situations.
Source: GhanaJustice/S.Ayisi
