Police hunt Canadian for duping Ghanaian businessman

A Canadian National called Alistair Jude Mathias with passport number BA 725745 and resident in United Arab Emirates (UAE) has allegedly swindled a Ghanaian businessman of over $4 million in a gold trade.

Narrating his side of the story and his experience with the Canadian, the Ghanaian businessman (name withheld) indicated that Mr Mathias came to Ghana and registered a company called M.A Resources Limited and bought a concession in the Eastern Region with the sole aim of going into mining.

He explained that about three years ago when he met Mr Mathias, he did everything possible to win his trust and fostered good relationship.

He said, he (Ghanaian businessman) had opened a branch in Dubai and the Canadian being a resident of UAE was given the role of clearing and forwarding of the gold shipments to the refinery in Dubai and receipts of proceeds to be subsequently transferred to the Ghanaian company back home in Accra.

He said everything was running smoothly for some months until last December and March 2014 that proceeds of gold shipment to the tune of $4million was not transferred to Ghana by the Canadian.

According to the Ghanaian, checks with the refinery in Dubai revealed that all proceeds from the sale of gold have been paid to Mr Mathias and when he was quizzed about the transaction: “The Canadian lied that he had deposited the money in his Standard Chartered Bank account in Dubai but my checks revealed that he was telling blatant lies.”

He said: “After all my efforts to retrieve my money back proved futile, it left me no choice than to file a criminal case against him for his arrest.”

“Mr Matthias was subsequently arrested when he came to Ghana and was granted bail in less than an hour at the Police Headquarters. As I speak the man has travelled back to Dubai,” he added.

But the police said the man was granted bail while investigations continue.