Sri Lankan MP Muhammed Hizbullah says he had not been defrauded of $2 million in a fake gold deal in Ghana, clarifying that no monetary transaction had taken place during a business trip to the country.
Addressing the media, MP Muhammed Hizbullah revealed he had accompanied three Saudi Businessmen as their advisor for a gold deal in Ghana.
“The deal was to legally purchase gold in Ghana and deposit the money into the bank account of the seller. During the negotiation with the Ghanaian party, they requested that we provide the money to obtain the gold. However, we told them to bring the gold to us at the hotel where we were staying, after which the money would be transferred. Twice, the Ghanaian party cheated us by not doing so,” he said.
MP Muhammed Hizbullah said that, as such, he informed the National Security Council in Ghana, which conducted a raid and arrested the fraudulent individuals.
Commenting on reports that he had been defrauded of US$ 2 million in the incident, MP Muhammed Hizbullah refuted such claims, stating no monetary transaction had taken place.
“Many are questioning how I owned US$ 2 million, the source of the money, and how I had taken it to Ghana. Reports in this regard on social media are false. I did not spend even a single Rupee or Dollar. All my expenses, including the flight ticket, hotel, and travel expenses, were taken care of by the Saudi businessmen. I only accompanied them as an advisor,” he said.
MP Muhammed Hizbullah reiterated that he had not given even one Dollar to anyone and had not suffered any loss as claimed in certain media reports.
His comments come after Ghanaian media reported that a court in Accra has granted bail to 11 people accused of defrauding Sri Lankan lawmaker Muhammed Hizbullah of $2 million in a fake gold deal.
Prosecutors told the court that the suspects conspired in 2023 to defraud Hizbullah, a Member of Parliament from Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, by claiming they could supply large quantities of gold.
After receiving the payment, the group allegedly failed to deliver and later attempted to re-engage the MP with another 50-kilogram gold offer, backed by a memorandum of understanding.
The suspects were arrested on October 16 in Accra during a national security operation. (Newswire)