The legal counsel for Ghana's President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has dismissed any purported linkage between his client and Canadian gold smuggler Alistair Mathias, putting an end to attempts to link the two men. Mathias is accused of smuggling gold into Ghana from Canada.
During the concluding segment of Al Jazeera's undercover investigation into Mathias' gold smuggling and money-laundering activities across Africa, Mathias boastfully claimed to have links with a variety of presidents across the continent.
In addition to this, he stated that President Akufo-Addo was a close friend of his, and then he proceeded to assert that the President was his attorney.
A number of individuals affiliated with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) seized upon these allegations and leveled a variety of accusations against the president.
The charges, however, have been refuted by the legal counsel to the President, Kow Essuman, who stated that President Akufo-Addo had not been in private practice as a lawyer since the year 2000 and that his legal chambers had not in any way acted as lawyers to Alistair or any of his colleagues.
Kow Essuman further disclosed that President Akufo-Addo had not been in private practice as a lawyer since the year 2000.
On Sunday, April 16, 2023, Essuman tweeted the following: “The President has not been in private practice since the year 2000, nor has the President or his law firm, Akufo-Addo, Prempeh, and Co., acted as a lawyer for this Alistair Mathias or Guldrest.” Essuman stated
“The President is not familiar with either Mathias or Guldrest,” He said. Ignore the ridiculous accusations, he insisted further.
Mathias is a gold trader who specializes in the development of methods for the laundering of money. He claims that this competence has allowed him to cultivate relationships with the heads of state across the continent.
The investigative team from Al Jazeera managed to catch up with Mathias by acting as Chinese criminals who were attempting to launder money from Africa. Mathias revealed his method of operation during their interrogation.
The individual who called himself the “financial architect” also brags about his purported contacts with the heads of state of a few different nations and the monarch of Swaziland.
“On this continent, neither one of us will be unable to meet with any of the nation's presidents or heads of state. The king of the neighboring country of Swaziland is a good friend of mine.
A very good friend of mine is currently serving as President of Zambia. He stated, “DRC, the president has invited me several times to come build a refinery,” but he did not provide any evidence to support his allegation.
Credit: 3news.com
