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Two Ghanaian nationals, according to officialdom, have been cited in the controversial gold transaction initially said to have been between the Government of Ghana and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The two, Peter Bedzrah and Fredrick Kojo Essumang, according to a statement signed by the Information Minister, Mahama Ayariga, operating under the corporate identity of Omanye Gold Mining Ltd from a house at Tantra Hill in Achimota, were involved in the transaction to supply gold to one Vahid Moradi Moghaddam. The statement says preliminary investigations have revealed that the transaction is purely private with no official government involvement as was initially reported. Below is the full statement PRESS STATEMENT ON ON-GOING INVESTIGATIONS OF THE MATTER OF THE ARREST OF GOLD IN TURKEY It will be recalled that sections of the media reported the detention of an aircraft in Istanbul, Turkey, allegedly carrying 1.5 tonnes of gold originating from Ghana and destined for the Islamic Republic of Iran. It was widely conjectured by a known political institute, that the said shipment was payment by Ghana in respect of some financial transaction with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Government, in two separate responses, denied any involvement in the use of gold to settle any transaction with the Government of Iran. The first was by Presidential Spokesperson John Jinapor and the second by Dr Raymond Atuguba, Executive Secretary of the President. Following that denial President John Dramani Mahama directed that the matter be investigated by the security agencies. Preliminary reports of investigations conducted by the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) makes some important findings. Two Ghanaians � Peter Bedzrah and Fredrick Kojo Essumang, operating under the corporate identity of Omanye Gold Mining Ltd from a house at Tanta Hill in Achimota without visible signs of a corporate entity, were involved in a transaction to supply gold to one Vahid Moradi Moghaddam. A ULS cargo aircraft (Airbus 300-B4) arrived at the Kotoka International Airport from Tripoli, Libya and filed a Landing Clearance Request form in which they indicated that they were to lift gold bars as their cargo. The consignment arrived at the KIA for pre-export formalities under two certificates for �mineral samples� for �laboratory analysis only and of no commercial value� both signed for the Director of Geological Survey by one Dr Thomas Adu but with one dated 31st December 2012 and the second dated 7th January 2013. The said �mineral samples� were consigned to an address in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).