Operators of Diamond Investment Limited, an unlicensed non-bank financial institution, which the Bank of Ghana ordered its closure recently, cannot be traced in the Sunyani Municipality.

A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to its purported office within a building numbered D18/2 at Dominase, opposite the former Rex Cinema in Sunyani, saw no official of the company.

A further search indicated that the company was not operating from that office. Rather the office is being occupied by Diamond Holidays, a travel and tour company that commenced business on May 9, 2012.

However, a tenant in the building told the GNA that Diamond Investment Limited until recently was operating from that office.

“I even refused to save my money with them when urged to do so by a friend because the traditional banks and well-recognised financial institutions are there for the safe-keeping of our monies and to protect us from fraudsters,” he said.

The Bank of Ghana (BoG) directed the Diamond Investment together with two other firms to close down their operations because they were engaged in unauthorized and illegal deposit-taking from the general public.

The BoG has, therefore, advised the public to be cautious in dealing with micro finance and online financial investments companies surfacing daily in the country.

The two other firms are CB Net Marketing Concepts operating in Accra, Tema and its vicinities; and E Finance and More, operating in Akrade, Akuse and Atimpoku in the Eastern Region.

The BoG in its directive ordered the companies “to pay out all amounts owed to patrons and proceed to wind up their operations within four weeks from the date of the directive”.

A source at the BoG’s Regional Office in Sunyani confirmed to the GNA that it received complaints from the general public about the activities of the company and its investigations proved to be true.