Court issues bench warrant for DKM CEO, others

The Sunyani District Magistrate Court “A” has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the embattled Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the defunct DKM Microfinance Company, Mr Martin K. Delle and four others for allegedly defrauding 24 people of an amount totaling GHȻ2,445,778 at Nkoranza.

The other accused persons with a different microfinance company, Care for Humanity International, are Juliana K. Delle, Richard Zawi, Amadu Ibrahim and Aziz Abdalla Achulowor.

They have been charged with defrauding by false pretence contrary to Section 131 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

The five accused persons who were scheduled to appear before the court presided over by His Worship, Mr Hagan Jojo Amoah on January 15, 2018 failed to do so and did not appear on the rescheduled date of January 24, 2018.

Their action therefore compelled the magistrate to issue the bench warrant for their arrest to be brought before the court on February 21, 2018.
Facts

Chief Inspector John Amaning told the court that the complainants were clients of the Care for Humanity Microfinance Company while the accused were executive council members of the microfinance company.

He explained that during 2015, the accused persons made false representations on radio stations that they operated a micro finance business that yielded 60 per cent interest on cash deposits for a period of two months.

Each complainant, according to Amaning, deposited various sums of money ranging between GHȻ500.00 and GHȻ500,000,00 all totaling GHȻ2,445,778 with the microfinance company.

He explained that when the investment matured, the accused persons failed to pay their principal and the corresponding interests, adding that the offices of the company have since been closed.

He said documents issued to the victims when they deposited the various sums of money bore inscriptions “Care for Humanity Fun Club International” based in New Jersey, USA.

He added that investigations at the Registrar-General’s Department indicated that no company based in New Jersey, USA registered in Ghana to operate an investment business or microfinance.

“Investigations further revealed that the accused persons’ company is limited by guarantee and could not be used in profit making business”, Mr Amaning said.