CID Quizzes Kojo Bonsu Over $1.7m Theft

By Malik Sullemana

The Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service (CID), has begun a probe into a case of alleged $1.7 million theft against Mr. Kojo Bonsu, a former Metropolitan Chief Executive of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).

Mr. Bonsu turned himself in at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, following a complaint filed by Mr. Jean Marcel Tape, the Director General of African Village SARL, an event management and sports tourism company.

The former KMA boss, together with others, were said to have in 2010 allegedly attacked Mr. Jean and collected a package he bought for Ghanaian football fans travelling to South Africa to support the Black Stars of Ghana, at the World Cup.

Mr. Bonsu, a flagbearer hopeful of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), who was granted bail last Thursday, was spotted in the company of his lawyer and one other person, believed to be the one who bailed him at exactly 10:04am yesterday at the CID headquarters.

He had denied the allegation, but the police said they would conduct investigations into the case.

Mr. Jean told the police that Mr. Bonsu contacted him by telephone in May 2010 to buy tickets for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa for Ghanaian supporters, and complainant asked Mr. Bonsu to send his request by email which he obliged.

He said throughout their conversation, Mr Bonsu was made to understand that African Village SARL operated according to FIFA rules and that "we do not sell dry tickets but packages which are made up of tickets, transportation, accommodation and visa".

Flowing from that complainant said they both agreed to meet in Accra, adding that on the day before he (Jean) left Abidjan for Accra, Mr. Bonsu sent another email in which he asked for an invoice to be shown to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ghana.

After he arrived in Accra, Mr. Jean stated that the former KMA boss met him at Crystal Royal Hotel and said he had $1 million to buy tickets but complainant stated, "I told him that is not necessary."

Mr. Jean said Bonsu told him Posterity Capital Group would take care of accommodation, transportation and feeding plus a jet by government to fly Ghanaian fans to South Africa.

Based on this information, complainant told Bonsu that he could not do anything for him because his licence does not allow him to sell "dry tickets".

The businessman stated that after the back and forth, he made an offer of $5,000 each for all 1,100 fans, and Bonsu gave $20,000 as guarantee and promised to transfer the outstanding balance into Jean's South African account.

Thereafter, he said Mr. Bonsu transferred $168,000 into a company account called Both Hands at FNB Bank.

Complainant said he did everything including visiting the South African consulate to confirm the Ghanaian fans were guests of African Village.

He continued that he told Mr. Bonsu that he would give him the tickets only if his money was ready.

However, on his (Jean) arrival in Ghana, Mr. Bonsu and others, believed to be officers from Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) snatched his bag containing the tickets, accommodation, transportation and feeding and forcibly asked him to sign a piece of paper.

He alleged that Bonsu and his team threatened to kill him.

Mr Jean stated that he made efforts to cancel the tickets of Ghanaian fans which Mr. Bonsu allegedly collected from him but one Ms. TERI from Match Hospitality Tour Operators later called to say that it was impossible to cancel all the tickets.

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