Mastermind of 419 scam grabbed
The alleged mastermind of the 419 scheme that was used to dupe hundreds of Ghanaians has been grabbed by the police.
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Elikplim de-ben Selassie, the Chief Executive Officer of the Mass Social Welfare Scheme, was arrested at his hideout at Akropong in the Eastern Region.
The suspect, who is believed to have orchestrated the scam which had duped hundreds of people of thousands of Ghana cedis, had gone under cover since December 17, 2013 when six of his workers were arrested.
Policemen picked him up from his hideout.
The police said Selassie had been interrogated and would be put before court.
One of his accomplices, Ofosu Boateng,who was the head of protocol at the company, is still on the run.
The scam
The company, in April 2013, advertised extensively in the media that it was engaged in a social intervention project targeting to alleviate poverty among five million Ghanaians.
At its launch at the Accra International Conference Centre, the company promised to provide top-up medical insurance, educational grants, building materials, access to an affordable housing scheme, business set-up capital and community infrastructure.
To subscribe, an individual had to pay a membership registration fee of GH¢20 for a lifetime registration card and he or she was required to pay GH¢10 periodically.
Managers of the scheme claimed they had strategic partners in Europe who supported the scheme financially and also had the support of the Government of Ghana.
The company, which guaranteed assistance in social security services, claimed it had a workforce of about 2,900 officers across the country.
Six suspects arrested
It would be recalled that six suspects — Francis Atta-Agyapong Junior, the Director of Operations of the company; Mawuli Agbota, an Accounts Officer; Samuel Nyamekye, an Administrative Assistant; Robert Atsrim, the Assistant Director of Operations; Patrick Quansah, a Network Engineer, and Solomon Lamptey, an Operations Officer — were arrested by the Sowutuom Police.
Victims
The victims of the scam include politicians, businesses, individuals and employees of the company.
The Odorkor District Police Commander, Superintendent Abraham Acquaye, told the Daily Graphic that 250 employees of the company who had to pay GH¢225 each before gaining employment for a monthly salary of GH¢500 or GH¢600 had also been duped of millions of cedis by their employer.
A number of companies which had supplied items such as cars, cement, roofing sheets, iron rods, rice, cooking oil, generators, home appliances, among others, are said to have told the police that cheques issued by de-ben Selassie were dud.
The items, according to the police, were retailed to registered members of the scheme on a hire-purchase basis without interest.
Since the arrest of the suspects, more than 100 victims have reported their cases to the Odorkor Police.
Supt Acquaye has advised members of the public with any form of information to report to the police.
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