Date: 2024-04-29 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00004955
Country ... Ghana
The Gold Sector
This is the comments dialog from an AlJazeera investigation into the gold scams in Ghana ... has some of my comments as well
Burgess COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess
Micheal • a year ago I am a scam artist and I am not proud of it period. However lets call a spade a spade, Dear Anas Aremeya Anas enjoy your 25 min of fame courtesy of Al Jazeera, you want to have a foot hold on real investigative journalism I'll tell you where to start, start with the system that allows the multimillion $$ mining industries to mine all they want and give 10-15% of the proceeds to your Dear country, Investigate how the villages where billions of $$ worth of precious metals are being dug out, pollute the water bodies, do not build any hospitals nor and good roads dusty roads where expats drive 100kmph villagers suffering from respiratory diseases killing the very poor citizens who own the land only to be called illegal miners for mining their forefathers land, start by investigating how those multimillion $$ companies shortchange the Govt and declare whatever they care to. Investigate the land agreements if they are fair. Investigate how we are being shackled by mental slavery,how we are being denied quality education which would take those potential scam artists into good jobs and out of fraudulent activities. Investigate why we brought our own brother to the white men as slaves from the hinterlands and sold them for rum and clothing which we were already having. Investigate why we have the cocoa and we cannot process it here if we do we are slapped with high duty taxes while bringing them into those developed countries that don't have cocoa, 1000$ for a ton of cocoa have you ever farmed a cocoa farm. Go to those mining companies and investigate how much is being paid those poor miners and investigate the working conditions and laws guiding the employment contracts. Investigate why for example would a well meaning speculator buy a kilo of gold for 40k whilst a kilo goes for more than 50k caveat emptor. Investigate why would Ghana receive only 10-15% of the proceeds from oil revenue dug from our backyard. I would not be surprised, during the slave trade who brought the slaves for the white men from the villages their brothers we did. I hope the very same people who paid you to do this would also pay you to investigate why Africa is being forced to sign the EPA. Please investigate why our people are suffering from planned and articulated mental and pressurized attacks from the developed countries please investigate why IMF charges billions of $$ on minimal amount loaned African nations. Please Investigate why we are forced to pay increased tariffs on electricity before a loan is granted us from IMF. Please investigate why. 31 •Reply•Share ›
Solomon Appiah Micheal • a year ago Very interesting words but you gave up your integrity and right to speak concerning this blessed continent the moment you chose to contribute to its bad image in the Diaspora through your illegal choice of profession. If you want to be of help, start putting your skills and energy to the betterment of this blessed continent instead of dragging it down and justifying it with useless ramblings. Right through history two or a thousand wrongs put together have never been equal to a right. Get right! 3 •Reply•Share ›
kamga Solomon Appiah • 10 months ago Salomon, you are missing the point made by Michael here...his profession does not prevent him to get right thing. your country is being striped of its resources by unlawful foreigner, help here by crook politicians...the report by Mr Anas has to cover al the aspect of the problem. the exploitation of gold the way it is done is not sustainable at all and can only lead to more and more conflict with local people. this is well documented in other countries where communities do not benefit for exploitation of resources... 2 •Reply•Share › Matty D Micheal • 10 months ago Micheal you need professional phycological help - your rant was totally pointless. facts are 'your' country is like a rotten apple right to the core. The Gold Scamming business is just one of the multipul layers of scams coming out of your back yard - the police, immigration, airport officials, bankers, ministers, mining officials even down to cabin crew are all in on a massive scam to defraud genuine people. Maybe you should climb down off your soap box, take off the rose coloured glasses, stop whining about a past that no one can change and wake the F**K UP. Al Jazeera this is the worst investigative report i have ever witnessed, extremely amateur considering the nature of the subject matter. As a commodity trader in the middle east this happens to so many people every day, giving the criminal under world this brief yet poignant exposé will merely encourage the scammers to become even smarter and more under ground. The problem is country wide and at every level of society - Ghana is on every serious buyers blacklist and here it will stay until the issues get sorted - which i'm afraid to say will be never 1 •Reply•Share › Hassan Wardhere • 2 years ago WOW...Anas, I watched your documentary in Toronto, Canada and I was amazed by your efforts, dedication and persuit of truth and justice. I wish we had more people like you in Africa...job well done! hassan 12 •Reply•Share › Infosec Enthusiast • 2 years ago Does the foreign investors contribute to the community? They're now using cyanide to extract these minerals as underground digging is proving too dangerous due to the bad safety measures they put in place. Now that you have finished with the local scammers, can you look at what the investors contribute? Look oversees and you'll see only the rich, celebrity bragging about their 'blings' etc as children die of malaria from the water log they leave behind that breeds mosquitoes. Good article though. 17 1 •Reply•Share › Abdul Azeez • 2 years ago how i wish the Nigerian police will be as truthful as the Ghana police this one of the problem African soceity face corruption but i think i wont blame this fraudsters any way cause most people who fall into this type of trap are greedy people using the back door .Anas good job hope we have more of your kind in Africa but i will say not just people who are trying to get better life but also government officials cause the main problem is not down - up issue is up - down issue cause if dey were jobs people want have that mind to do evil . 8 •Reply•Share › Shango Olokun Abdul Azeez • 2 years ago The Nigerian police are million times better and more professional than the Ghanian police, you can take that to the bank, The Ghanian police are crooks, maybe this one flowed along because he knew it's going to be published, to fight crime is the duty of the police officer and when they go blind, then a patriotic journalist like this can come in, so despite their hullabaloo , it's a shame they {the Ghanian police} pretend not to know all this crimes are taking place right in their faces, but as usual after collecting their shares they look the other way, i really think on a general note Africans should learn to say no to get rich quick syndrome, it has never worked and it will never work, we must learn and know that crime is never a way of life, if you are jobless can never be an excuse to commit crime but can spring up innovative ideas that can lead to break through and inventions, and if they say they are hungry, then you just know they are born criminals because the Ghanian soil i know is rich and take little or no fertilizer to be a farmer. 1 •Reply•Share › LeeLee Mcwilliams • 2 years ago Anyone smart enough to elect Perry is smart enough to invest 7 mil in an African Gold mine. Can we have his number, I've got a proposition for that genius. 7 •Reply•Share › Micheal LeeLee Mcwilliams • a year ago My own Gold sells for 25K per Kilo. •Reply•Share › Jenny Hill • 2 years ago great job!!!!!!!!!!!!! 7 •Reply•Share › Victoria Edem • 2 years ago Anas ayeekoo. Anas congratulations. Anas may the good lord protect and gurd you. It is not easy exposing crime in africa especially ghana. Investors are not finding it easy at all. There is this other one that they even kill investors in the name of fraud without shame or regret. Thank god this team of policemen did not betray you. Thank the whole team members as well as Al Jazeera. 6 •Reply•Share › dave w • 2 years ago anyone with $7 million to 'invest' and gets duped by some N words, party on D/bag 5 •Reply•Share › Paddy Nsenga • 2 years ago commendable job Anaas we need more people like you all over Africa. Thank u the Aljazeera team for lighting the spotlight on Africa. 5 •Reply•Share ›
Zainab Usman • 2 years ago Wow! The truth is indeed stranger than fiction. For a moment there, I thought I was watching a crime thriller. Kudos to the brave and brilliant journalist Anas Armeyawu for this real piece of investigative journalism, and kudos to Al Jazeera for hosting this series showcasing the brilliance and resilience of Africans, and for showing Africans devoid of the typical stereotypes found in Western media outlets. 4 •Reply•Share ›
PeterBurgess • 2 years ago This is a very good piece. A little over ten years ago I did some work in West Africa in the gold and diamond sector and came across much of the criminal structure that makes these products valuable for those associated with the criminals while leaving little for ordinary people in the local domestic economy. My experience suggests that this piece only scratches the surface with criminal elements in both the scam segment of the industry and also corruption/crime within the official industry as well. 4 •Edit•Reply•Share ›
Matt Van Aardt PeterBurgess • 10 hours ago You are so right Peter. This documentary does only scratch the surface. What about the drug cartels that come into Sierra Leone to wash their dirty money by buying diamonds that are then smuggled out through corrupt customs officials (because he watches all the rich businessmen passing in front of him every day, their shiny, sweating faces happy and well fed, while his 11 year old daughter, often pawed and touched by drunkard fat Russian visitors, is selling roasted peanuts to the same rich tourists because his $100 a month salary can not feed them. So why not make a little cash ($2000 ??MORE than A years salary?) It all boils down to economics, poverty. •Reply•Share ›
Robert Smith • 2 years ago Very good documentary unfortunately this is a problem quickly spreading all over the African continent. To any investors out there, if you go to purchase gold in Africa take your own gold testing kits and gold density testing machines and test the gold just before handing over the $$ not 2 days before hand. Only use reputable banks such as Barclays and Standard Chartered to store your gold, also these bank usually have state of the art gold testing machines, therefore you can actually conduct the transaction in the bank itself - this obliviously mitigates your risk. 3 •Reply•Share ›
Matt Van Aardt Robert Smith • 10 hours ago Words of wisdom and experience! Well said Robert. Only a fool hands over $$ for a product without having it in hand. •Reply•Share ›
Oheneba Barima Ampofo • 2 years ago We are turning the country into criminal hub by duping people on pretext of selling gold, turn out to be fake gold.The law must take it's course without any interference from the power that may be. 3 •Reply•Share ›
Michael Tran • 10 months ago Just blame yourself because of your greed. Why would anyone want to sell to you an ounce of gold 'way' below $1650???????? 1 •Reply•Share ›
1456321 • a year ago mama mia leave it alone 1 •Reply•Share ›
Solomon Appiah • a year ago Awesome Job Anas! Keep the torch burning! It was right for you to have been one of the few the US president mentioned in the Ghana Parliament meeting as torch bearers promoting development of Africa, democracy and good governance. Well deserved. I pray God for more of you who love our land and will stand for her come what may. You have honoured our national anthem and pledge. ... Bold to defend forever The cause of Freedom and of Right.. This you have done. God bless you. God bless Ghana. God bless beloved Africa! 1 •Reply•Share ›
Richard Cornell • a year ago By the way. China is moving into Africa. It has some great deals. Instead of just taking your wealth for a very low price, it will help increase your population. If you think White trash is bad. Good. They are Infidels. Expect nothing else. The Chinese are not your White man. They are the next power on this planet. Treat them very well. Give them respect deserving an special person. Do not thing to make them mad at you. Do not go on the Internet and insulate them. If you do you will be hack. A hand will come forth and wave its finger at you. China will not allow itself to be swindle out of anything. You should pray to Allah for being deliver from those White men. Allah Akbar 1 •Reply•Share ›
Matt Van Aardt Richard Cornell • 10 hours ago Lord what planet are you from?? What utter dribble! Ignorance is definitely your strongest suite! •Reply•Share ›
AIESEC Memeber • 2 years ago what do you mean, nigerian police shud learn from ghana police about honesty with the truth?do you know how many thousand fruadsters nigerian police catches everyday on the fraud act?.this was an excellent piece of journalism and i commend ur effort, but the root problem remains largely unemployment and greed,our leaders are not tackling the main issues about youth unemployment n porvety..great job aljazeera. 1 •Reply•Share ›
Fahad Mohamud • 4 months ago well done anas . we need more smart african like you , u r hero •Reply•Share ›
Noel Mackellar • 6 months ago zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz •Reply•Share ›
Noel Mackellar • 6 months ago all that glistens isnt really gold,..should be like that the legengs singer..rodregius...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz •Reply•Share › Eugene Agoh • 10 months ago Really interesting investigation, I urge the team to keep it up so they can be able to reduce the rate of this horrible and reputation damaging crime. •Reply•Share ›
Richard Cornell • a year ago Not worth anything. I rather have my AK-47 to your bar of Gold. My AK-47 will get me a warm place to sleep. Food to eat. Good loyal friends. Your bar of gold can buy nothing. Your bar will not buy as I will not sell you a loaf of bread for it. My jacket is warm and I'm keeping it. My bed fits only me. My friends are either my friends or they will not eat. You want to me my friend, to sleep in a warm place, to eat well. It will cost you your bar of gold. You will not give me your bar of gold. OK so be it. Need I go on. •Reply•Share ›
Darling Nana-Poku Nicholas • 2 years ago what a nice piece of work. keep it up my bro. •Reply•Share ›
Solomon Prah • 2 years ago Aljazeera, Good work done by Anas Aremeya Anas, i suggest the video should be distribute to all local TV stations in Ghana to show. throughout this and next month. I did not watch it fully, kindly let me know at whict time will you show it on Aljazeera again. thanks
Solomon Accra, Ghana tel; 00233-266740525 •Reply•Share ›
GP Force Africa • 2 years ago Great piece. Great that Anas can work with the Ghana government and police. Scams like this can depreciate greatly the Ghanian gold market by killing investor confidence in the country. I am currently working with a legitimate gold miner in Ghana looking for working partners to provide mostly technical expertise. I believe that the bad guys are ruining so many growth opportunities for the good guys working so hard. I believe it is imcumbent upon us with the correct information to make sure it gets infused into the international business community. •Reply•Share ›
Ofori • 2 years ago Such a deal is not a one man business..Am sure the main brains behind this are Nigerians with Ghanaians supporting. •Reply•Share ›
Shango Olokun Ofori • 2 years ago You are very awkward, i won't call names but advise you to mind your business, keep your useless thought to yourself, if you watch carefully , you'll see who they are and stop passing blame on others as that will not solve anything.The only way to solve a crime is making sure the real culprit face the law and not blaming others . 1 •Reply•Share ›
Kingsley Lambert Ofori • 2 years ago Ghanaians are criminals. They are now the people doing internet fraud. 1 •Reply•Share ›
Matt Van Aardt Kingsley Lambert • 10 hours ago how utterly stupid and ignorant you are!! You know NOTHING about the people of Ghana or scammers. That is clear by your stupid comment. MOST of the scammers in Ghana re in fact Nigerians and NOT ALL Nigerians are scammmers it is in fact one single tribe that are the scammers. put your head back in the sand!! •Reply•Share ›
Matt Van Aardt Ofori • 10 hours ago Correct! At least one person speaks the truth •Reply•Share ›