A Sri Lankan lawmaker, Dr. Muhammed Hizbullah, has reportedly fallen victim to a $2 million gold scam in Ghana, according to multiple Ghanaian media outlets.
The Accra Circuit Court Eight has granted bail to 11 suspects accused of orchestrating the fraud. Each suspect — identified as Abdul Rauf Adam, Alhmamoudi Saleh, Yaw Attah Antwi, Osman Suleman, Nhyiraba Dwamena Ra III, Benzcarl Dwamena, Sanfo Mubassir, Sallah Mammoudi, Ahmed Issah, Umaru Pafadenam, and Salifu Suleman — was released on bail of 500,000 Ghanaian cedis (approximately $33,000) with two sureties, one of whom must be a property owner.
Prosecutors told the court that in 2023, the suspects allegedly conspired to defraud Dr. Hizbullah, an MP from Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, by falsely claiming they could supply large quantities of gold. After receiving the payment, the group reportedly failed to deliver and later attempted to lure him again with a new 50-kilogram gold offer supported by a fake memorandum of understanding.
The suspects were arrested on October 16 in Weija SCC, Accra, during a national security operation, where officers recovered two yellowish metallic items suspected to be gold. Laboratory analysis is underway to determine their authenticity.
All 11 suspects face charges of conspiracy to commit crime, defrauding by false pretense, and attempted fraud, and are scheduled to reappear in court on November 20.
