Ghanaians who became famous for 'conning' state institutions and people

In most situations and circumstances, people rise to fame and stardom by perfecting their craft, embarking on a heroic activity, or, in minor cases, through sheer luck and grace. However, the following people on this list are some Ghanaians who gained fame by conning individuals and some state institutions. This article is not to praise the nefarious activities of the people mentioned; rather it serves as a point of caution and counsel that ill-gotten fortune and fame always end in shame and in vain. John Ackah Blay-Miezah Dr. John Ackah Blay-Miezah became globally famous in the 1980s after he conned businesses and some Americans of their money. According to a publication in Cambridge, Dr.Blay Miezah raked in over $250 million from his fraud scheme. To defraud his victims, Dr. Blay-Miezah convinced his victims that he was the sole beneficiary of a $27 billion Oman Ghana Trust created by Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, with money from his illicit smuggling operations. According to him, the complex nature of the fund made it impossible for him to access his money and, as such, he needed investors to help him hire lawyers to release the funds. Blay-Miezah promised a 1,000% return on investment. Aside from his con activities, Blay-Miezah was the chairman of Sekondi Eleven Wise. The club was the first Western-based club to win the Ghana Premier League and the first club from the West to represent Ghana in the CAF Inter-Club competition. Dr UN Kwame Fordjour, popularly known as ‘Dr UN’ rose to fame after he fraudulently awarded over twenty (20) public personalities in Ghana with plaques supposedly from the United Nations (UN) and in honour of the late distinguished Ghanaian who served as the General-Secretary of the UN, Dr Kofi Annan. The awardees included high-profile politicians, academicians and celebrities such as Sarkodie, Berla Mundi, Professor Oduro and many others. Dr UN presents himself as a global ambassador of the UN, a diplomat and literate with a doctorate degree from Harvard University. Dr UN continues to be a free man and almost a celebrity to many and is yet to be prosecuted legally. Daryl Robert Harrison (Fake Ghanaian Prince) Darly Robert Harrison is a resident of Ohio who presented himself as a Ghanaian prince named Prince Daryl R. Attipoe and Prophet Daryl R. Attipoe. According to a publication by CNN, he was able to con at least 14 people out of more than $800,000 over several years. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), United States of America, Darly has been convicted of mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. His bait story was that he was a prince from Ghana and had connections to African mining and trucking companies, the statement said. According to the DOJ, he told investors that they should expect to receive a return of up to 33% on their investments in those companies, however, all their monies were used to sponsor his extravagant lifestyle. Watch this week's E-Forum below. EAN/BOG