Officials from the Commercial Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), are on the heels of Eric Kweku Osei, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Accent Financial Services, together with eight others for allegedly defrauding unsuspecting Ghanaians to the tune of over GH¢10 million.

Reports say the figure could rise because many people had fallen victim to the scam of the finance house, which was established by William Ato Essien, owner of the defunct Capital Bank.

Mr Essien has already been dragged to Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) by some clients of the distressed company, who are demanding their money.

The other eight suspected collaborators wanted by the CID are Benone Yaw Asihene, Elizabeth Dzoemeko, Joseph Morrison, Lawrence Otoo, Oheneba Osei, Dr Kwadwo Ayisi Ahwireng, Eric Kwaku Osei and Bukari Amadu Malam.

Under the pretext of operating a financial institution, officials of Accent Financial Services promised their clients interest of 33.5 percent on their investments but they failed to deliver on the promise after collecting the money.

Reports from the police indicated that about 20 victims had officially reported the matter.

Some of them said they invested between GH¢100,000 and GH¢2 million.

Most of the victims, DAILY GUIDE gathered, are bankers, retired bankers, security personnel, government officials, among others.

One of the victims (name withheld), a retired banker, who allegedly used his retirement lump sum package to invest in the company died out of shock.

Management of the financial institution has since gone into hiding.

When the director in-charge of the Commercial Crime Unit, Chief Superintendent Faustina Andoh Kwofie was contacted, she said her outfit in September last year, received several complaints from a number of the victims that one Elizabeth Dzoemeko, an official of the company, persuaded them to invest with the company for 33.5 percent interest every three months.

The victims said Ms Dzoemeko told them that Accent Financial Services was a viable entity, which gave prompt returns on investments on demand.

However, when the time was due for the victims to claim their principal and the accrued interests, the management wrote to them to give them a one-month period to settle them.

After the one-month period elapsed, the victims claimed they visited the premises of the company located at the Airport residential area several times but none of the directors could be found.

Police Action

Chief Superintendent Andoh Kwofie disclosed that a team of investigators, who were handling the case, visited the premises of the financial institution several times but could not get in touch with any of them.

She said, recently, when the personnel visited the premises, they discovered that the building had been repainted.

The police chief said the landlord told police personnel that the building was rented by Accent Financial Services which vacated the building due to the expiration of the rent.

“The mobile numbers of the directors have since not been going through,” she added.

The police have, therefore, urged members of the public who may have any information on the whereabouts of the directors of the distressed company or any person who might have fallen victim to their scam, to contact the police on 0244850438 or visit the Commercial Crime Unit.