The Founder of a susu scheme in Takoradi, Ms Theodora Boatima Dza Darkwa, 30, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding about 1,000 contributors of more than GH¢1 million.
The suspect is said to have, since April 2011, set up the susu loans and saving scheme, Mother of All Nations (MONA), for the Christian group, Youth for Christ, without the permission of the Bank of Ghana (BoG).
According to the police, the suspect collected various sums of money, ranging between GH¢300 and GH¢900, from contributors, with the promise to give them interest of 10 per cent on their capital every two weeks. But she failed to honour her part of the contract and rather used some of the money to furnish her office with expensive office equipment.
Beneficiaries of MONA loans, mainly market women, had to pay only GH¢1 a day until they finished paying up. Unfortunately for the contributors, the police said, the suspect could not pay the 10 per cent interest on the principal amounts deposited.
They said Ms Darkwa also operated without paying the relevant taxes to state agencies such as the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Internal Revenue Service of the Ghana Revenue Authority.
The suspect has been put before court and has been remanded in custody to help the police in their investigations.
The police said when the operations of the scheme stalled, Ms Darkwa launched a music career with the hope of making some money but that also failed. Consequently, she bolted until she was arrested by the police from her hideout.
After her arrest, it was discovered that the social security contributions of her 36 employees, as well as income tax and other forms of taxes due the state, had not been paid, while she operated without permission from BoG.
When contacted, the Takoradi Central District Police Commander, DSP Awuni-Ba Musa Husseni, confirmed Ms Darkwa’s arrest, saying, “She is currently in our custody helping in our investigations.”
He said the police had retrieved some of the items she used the money to buy and would follow other leads in their investigations.
Source: Daily Guide
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