It appears there is a new form of lucrative business albeit criminal within the Greater Accra Region where unscrupulous individuals storm the courts defrauding claimants who demand legitimate compensation from the state.
THE CUSTODIAN has gathered that these alleged fraudsters have formed groups, having agents in government offices who monitor payments of compensation for land acquired by the state on their behalf.
It is gleaned that when the money is about to be paid those Government officials will then furnish their ‘masters’ with all the relevant documents in respect of the compensation.
The fraudsters then file Writ of Summons that they pursued the claim and therefore they are the rightful persons to receive the compensation on behave of the claims.
They engage in such clandestine moves, knowing well that lands commission will not pay the money until the final determination of the Suit.
Consequently, these fraudsters then approach the claimants being the defendants in the suit through one of them who pretends to be a mediator between the parties in the suit and organises a meeting between the two parties.
The mediator who pretends to be acting in the interest of peace, will suggest an out of court settlement of the matter, giving the fraudsters the opportunity to demand a ransom before withdrawing the suit.
Some people who have fallen victims to these well-planned scams revealed that after an agreement is reached on the amount to be paid to them they will now sign the notice of discontinuation of the case.
According to some affected person, these fraudsters sometimes demand post-dated cheques to the tune of the amount agreed before filing the notice for discontinuation.
However, checks have revealed that the leader of the fraudsters is an ex-convict whose lawyer is alleged to be a member of one of the committees in the General Legal Council.
Information gathered has revealed that that this ex-convict has been proudly going about telling people that the crime they are committing is business even though it is a palpable threat to the state.
This paper will soon drop the names of the fraudsters, the prominent lawyer and the government officials involve in this crime as our sources are prepared give them away at the appropriate time.
Until then, we call on the Ghana police service and other security agency to be on alert before it becomes too late.
