Two Forge Minister Omane Boamah's Signature (PHOTO)

Two persons have been arrested for allegedly forging the signature of the Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane-Boamah, to defraud an Indian businessman. The two, George Jumbo Chikadibia, 39, alias Dr Williams, a Nigerian, and Ibrahim Natt Kangbangya, 45, a car dealer in Accra, have been charged with forgery of documents and defrauding by false pretences. Email messages The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Commissioner of Police, Mr Prosper K. Agblor, told journalists in Accra on Friday that in June 2014, the Indian businessman received series of emails purported to have been sent to him by Dr Omane-Boamah. In the emails, he said, the sender claimed he had more than $5 million which he intended to invest abroad and proposed to do business with the Indian businessman. The Indian businessman subsequently received a signed deed of partnership agreement also through email for the formation of a company to be named Konoovi Ventures. The self-styled minister, Mr Agblor said, enticed the Indian businessman to send more than $24,000 through the accounts of two persons in Dubai and India. He said the money was sent to the two account holders, Jerry Signia and Godfred Billary residing in Dubai and India respectively, on the pretext of using it to facilitate the transfer of $10 million to the Indian businessman for the supposed investment. According to Mr Agblor, the self-styled minister subsequently demanded more money from the Indian businessman but he was reluctant to make any further payments. Indian arrives in Ghana On September 4, 2014, he said, the Indian businessman, without the knowledge of the self-styled minister, arrived in Ghana to follow up on the business. While in Accra, the businessman called the alleged imposter to inform him that he had arrived in Ghana but the imposter claimed he was on an official assignment outside Ghana. Mr Agblor said the alleged imposter indicated that he would arrange for his personal assistant, whom he mentioned as George Jumbo Chikadibia, to meet the businessman at a hotel to discuss the business. He said after the said meeting, the businessman, who had become suspicious, went to the Ministry of Communications to verify things for himself. While at the Ministry, Mr Agblor said, the businessman was shocked to learn that the minister was in Ghana and that he had no knowledge of the said business deal. He said a report was therefore made to the police leading to the arrest of the two suspects.