Accra, Ghana (GS) A former Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central in the erstwhile NDC government, Inusah Fuseini, has broken his long silence following the arrest of his son in the US state of West Virginia by Federal Agents and his subsequent indictment for committing several offenses against citizens of the United States and the US government.
At the trial, the US Department of Justice, (DOJ), disclosed that Inusah Fuseini, the MP’s son, was part of a conspiracy that targeted victims, using false personas via emails, texts, and online dating and social media platforms to lure unsuspecting Americans into his web of lies and criminality.
“From at least January 2018 through at least December 2019, the scheme sought to induce victims into believing they were in a romantic relationship, friendship, or business relationship with various false personas. The victims were persuaded to send money for a variety of false and fraudulent reasons for the benefit of the false personas”, the prosecution revealed at trial.
However, in an interview with Asaase Radio in Accra, Mr. Fuseini, who is also a former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources under President Mahama’s administration, pointed out that his son, Abdul Fuseini, was not directly involved in the scam that he has been accused of.
“As a father, my son told me that one of his colleague students wanted a car and he has documents that allow him to auction vehicles, and it turns out the colleague student was involved in romance fraud. My son’s documents were used by his colleague who had requested same for a transaction, but unfortunately, it turned out he used it for romance fraud”. the former MP narrated.
The ex-MP’s son was arrested in Huntington, West Virginia, and charged with defrauding American residents in multiple states through the use of fake online personas after a thorough investigation by US Federal prosecutors..
The former MP’s explanations for his son’s criminal activities is a far cry from a statement issued by prosecutors and investigators who handled the case.
At the trial, DOJ prosecutors disclosed that ” 31-year old Abdul Inusah was part of a conspiracy that targeted victims using false personas via email, text messaging, and online dating and social media websites. From at least January 2018 through at least December 2019, the scheme sought to induce victims into believing they were in a romantic relationship, friendship, or business relationship with various false personas. The victims were persuaded to send money for a variety of false and fraudulent reasons for the benefit of the false personas”, the statement stressed.
The accused, Abdul Inusah, has also come out of his hideout to refute the allegations and charges that have been leveled against him by the US Federal Prosecutors. He said he is in close contact with his attorneys to challenge the charges made against him by the US government since according to him, he is innocent of the crimes he has been charged with.
According to Abdul Inusah, on April 27, 2021, he received an indictment from the US Federal government, charging him with two counts of receiving $20,000.00 in wire fraud and receipt of stolen money in connection with the $20,000.00 he is accused of receiving. Through his lawyers, Inusah said he was given a plea deal by the prosecutors but he rejected it because, in his view, he was innocent of all the charges preferred against him.
In the ensuing engagements, the former MP’s son opted for a trial instead of a plea deal. Subsequently, the US Federal government decided to enhance the charges against Abdul Inusah from two to eight counts to include wire fraud, money laundering, and defrauding by false pretense among others.
He has vowed to challenge the prosecution’s case against him during the sentencing stage later on November 2022, adding that what hurts him most is what he called ‘half-truths being published in the media to tarnish the image of his family’.
The Federal charges leveled against the ex-MP’s son carry up to 50 years in a US Federal penitentiary.
