Accra: The Office of the Attorney-General (AG) has announced its intention to file charges against Mr. Percival Kofi Akpaloo, the Founder and Leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), and his wife, Delvine Akpaloo. The charges pertain to their alleged involvement in various criminal offences.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Dominic Akurutinga Ayine, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, revealed that substantial evidence indicates the couple's involvement in criminal activities, including stealing, forgery, and money laundering. This announcement was made during the Government Accountability Series Press Conference at the Presidency in Accra, where Dr. Ayine presented the final conclusions of investigations conducted by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) initially flagged and reported suspicious transactions with First Bank Ghana involving an account of Pomaah Universal (Gh.) Ltd. This prompted an investigation by the EOCO. The findings revealed that Akua Pomaa, the legitimate owner of Pomaa Universal (Gh.) Ltd, was the rightful contractor of a COCOBOD feeder road contract valued at over Ghs29.5 million, awarded in December 2020.
Dr. Ayine explained that although the project commenced with an initial payment deposited correctly, subsequent payments raised concerns due to apparent misrepresentation and forgery. It was discovered that Akpaloo had secretly established a company named Pomaah Universal (Gh.) Ltd, closely resembling Pomaa Universal (Gh.) Ltd, with only an additional 'h' in the name.
Between December 2022 and June 2024, Akpaloo allegedly collected eight cheques issued by COCOBOD to Pomaa Universal (Gh.) Ltd, totaling Ghs3,169,432.22, and deposited them into his own company's account at First Bank Ghana. Investigations confirmed that Akua Pomaa was unaware of the existence of Pomaah Universal (Gh.) Ltd and the misdirection of funds until COCOBOD inquired about outstanding balances in June 2024.
Akua Pomaa subsequently discovered that Akpaloo had diverted payments without her consent and alleged that her signature had been forged on the COCOBOD contract using her former name, Mercy Owusu, to secure the agreement unlawfully. First Bank Ghana's internal investigations corroborated these fraud allegations, acknowledging operational failures in detecting discrepancies between cheque payee names and account numbers.
The Attorney-General's Office has identified Percival Kofi Akpaloo, Pomaah Universal (Gh.) Ltd, and Delvine Akpaloo as suspects in this case. Dr. Ayine stated that the evidence points to their engagement in criminal activities, including stealing, forgery, and money laundering, and that charges will be filed in January.