Source: newsthemegh.com
In a four-part investigative documentary series produced by Aljazeera, famed gold smuggler and self-described financial architect Alistair Mathias identified President Nana Akufo-Addo as a friend and former attorney.
The investigative piece uncovered money-laundering and gold-smuggling networks in Zimbabwe.
In the fourth part of the investigative work, Mr. Mathias, who was formerly the top gold smuggler in Ghana, claimed that throughout his time as a smuggler, he benefited from the generosity of the nation’s political elite.
He told the undercover reporters that it was because of the dishonest government officials and politicians he removed from office that his gold smuggling business was successful in Ghana.
The top smuggler in Ghana at one point, Mathias, disclosed to the undercover journalists how he operated.
“In Ghana, I take tenders: road construction, procurement — supplying different things — oil, this, that”, he revealed.
“There, all the politicians get taken care of indirectly because it allows me to do all my other stuff freely”, he noted.
For example, he said with the government of Ghana, “I get the contract, I subcontract it to you, $100 million contract. Ghana government pays me $100 million. I give it to you, and you say it’s $80 million.”
“In this scenario, the outstanding $20 million out of the inflated $100 million is shared per an arrangement reached between Alistair and the said politician,” he demonstrated.
“I’ll have an arrangement with them and they get 15… I’ll probably get 5 million. I keep all of it in Dubai. Whenever they want it, they just tell me and I send it.”
“Ghana’s President is a good friend of mine; in fact, he was my lawyer,” he said.
Yet according to President Akufo-Addo, he doesn’t remember representing Mr. Mathias in court.
Mr. Mathias has also renounced claims that he received government contracts in any African nation or that he was awarded any tenders by the government of Ghana.