Fraud victims chase MP over GHC800K job scam

A growing number of fraud victims in the Atwima-Nwabiagya South Constituency who were duped in an GHC800, 000 job scam are chasing after the Member of Parliament for the area, Emmanuel Adjei Anwhere for a refund but he claims the fraud suspect in question no longer works in his office as his Personal Assistant.

The vexed victims however insist the fraud suspect, Prince Asiedu Afriyie, until his arrest, continued to carry himself all over the constituency as the MP’s Personal Aide and was always seen in his company during the period he was perpetuating the fraud therefore this new claim that his role as PA had been terminated is ridiculous.

Family Shocked

To worsen the drama, persons who say they are family relations of the suspect have expressed shock at the claim by the MP and said there is nothing to show that the suspect spent GHC800,000 all by himself.

“He is still living with the mother. He has no car, house or even a plot to show for the amount he received. I am wondering if indeed he took those monies as alleged. I am pleading with the MP to get my brother out of jail because for all the over seven years he has been working with him, he has no property to his credit. If you are not helping him to acquire wealth don’t allow him rot in jail. He is all we got”, Adwoa Adutwumwaa who introduced herself as a family relation of the suspect noted.

She revealed that there is no property anywhere to suggest her embattled brother, Prince Asiedu Afriyie, benefitted from the said amount.

According to her, the suspect has neither a plot of land nor a car to prove he indeed received those monies as alleged wondering where the colossal amount would have gone to.

Tuesday Court

On Tuesday, June 7, 2022, a number of the defrauded constituents massed up at the Nkawie Circuit Court where the case was to be held after the suspect, Prince Asiedu Afriyie, had earlier been remanded.

They were however left disappointed because the embattled Aide to the MP was not brought to Court, and the trial judge, His Honour Nana Brew, adjourned the case to June 17, 2022.

Some of the victims told journalists they had been looking for the suspect to refund their monies only to hear of his arrest for which reason they were in court to file complaints.

Spokesperson for the aggrieved victims Mr. Osei Kofi suggested that the MP cannot absolve himself from the blame because he was still working with the suspect during the compilation of their constituency album recently.

“We will hold the MP for our monies because he only came out with the disclaimer when the issue broke out. Where was he all that while when he stopped working with him? We see suspect as the mouthpiece and an errand boy of the MP. Whatever we are told is representative of the MPs view so to say you stopped working for him in 2020 is not true”, he disclosed.

Mr. Osei Kofi continued: “Your PA who was taking instructions from you, therefore, your actions had direct relation to Kofi’s deeds and any implication thereof. Kofi was moving with you anytime you visit the constituency so you created the impression that you’re still working with him. That raised the hopes of the indigenes to transact business with him. As an MP, how are you helping the affected persons?” he asked demanding he pays victims.

Context

About a fortnight ago, a Circuit Court in the Ashanti Region remanded into prison custody Mr. Prince Asiedu Afriyie, known to be the Personal Assistant of the Member of Parliament for Atwima-Nwabiagya South Constituency in the Ashanti Region over an GHC800,000 recruitment scam.

He was to sleep under lock and key for two weeks and return to court on Tuesday June 7, 2022 to face charges of defrauding by false pretence.

The MP for the area, Honourable Emmanuel Adjei Anwhere issued a statement to say it is true that the suspect on remand, Prince Asiedu Afriyie, was in his employ as his Personal Assistant for some three years between the year 2017 and 2020.

The statement said that the trusted role Prince Asiedu Afriyie held in the MP’s office was taken from him prior to the last general elections.

The disclaimer came as a surprise to many and the scammed victims questioned why the MP, Emmanuel Adjei Anwhere, was making disclaimer public only after the arrest of suspect, who was hitherto known by everyone to be his confidant and trusted Personal Assistant.

Prince Asiedu was arrested after various persons from the Atwima-Nwabiagya South Constituency reported him to the police that he had collected from them various cash amount over the sum of GHC800,000 with the promise of recruiting them into the various security agencies.

Prior to his remand in prison custody, Prince Asiedu was arrested twice, once in Accra and the other in Kumasi over the same offence. There was a time he was even declared wanted over the same fraud related case.

A complainant in the case indicated that the suspect took over GHc100, 000 from her alone under the guise of facilitating the recruitment of relations into various security agencies but failed to fulfill his part of the bargain.

Prince Asiedu Afriyie was reported to have taken various sums from different other persons both in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Region after which he was said to have gone into hiding and his whereabouts unknown.