Hot Source…Businessman alleges US$100,000 fraud, military intimidation in explosive petition
A Ghanaian mining entrepreneur, Michael Benziecie, has lodged a formal complaint with the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), accusing Angela List, Chief Executive Officer of Adamus Resources Limited, and officials of the Minerals Commission of fraud under false pretences.
In a detailed report submitted to EOCO and seen by The Herald, Mr Benziecie alleges that Madam List, alongside the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Martin Kwaku Ayisi, and one Rebecca Donkor, an official of the same Commission, orchestrated a scheme that led to his financial exploitation, operational sabotage, and threats to his safety.
Mr Benziecie’s case exposes troubling undercurrents within Ghana’s mining sector: alleged abuse of regulatory discretion, use of unauthorized state security forces, including soldiers, contradictory internal communications, and possible fraud involving senior figures.
In the petition, Mr Benziecie, CEO of BAM Mining, who says he shares the same hometown as Mr Ayisi, recounts how he entered into what he believed was a legitimate partnership with Adamus, only to be systematically obstructed, extorted and ultimately shut out of the very concession he had invested heavily in.
Angela List, through contact, told The Herald yesterday that she had dealings with Mr Benziecie; however, the matter is currently before the Takoradi Police in the Western Region. She, however, needs some time to officially respond to the petition, which this newspaper forwarded to her through the contact.
Rebecca Donkor also reached out to The Herald yesterday through a prominent individual who once served as Minister of State in the Akufo-Addo government. She was described as an innocent party who was caught up in the transaction between Mr Benziecie and Angela List, Chief Executive Officer of Adamus Resources Limited.
According to Mr Benziecie, the alleged fraud occurred in the context of a failed mining partnership, in which he had sought to recover losses from an earlier, unproductive concession near Adamus Resources’ operations. After finding the original concession commercially unviable, he sought access to parts of the Adamus concession believed to have economic potential.
His efforts to engage Madam List directly were unsuccessful until February 2024, when he approached Mr Ayisi for assistance. Mr Ayisi, reportedly moved by Benziecie’s account of hardship, introduced him to Ms Donkor in March. During that meeting, terms were allegedly laid out, including a US$100,000 “goodwill payment” (with US$50,000 to be paid upfront to Donkor), and a 20% production share 15% for Madam List and 5% for Donkor.
Believing the arrangement to be legitimate, Mr Benziecie submitted all required documentation and paid the initial US$50,000 on 19 March. He was then introduced to Madam List at a salon in East Legon, where further verbal assurances were given and company documentation requested.
However, shortly after submitting his formal proposal and GPS coordinates of his preferred mining blocks, Mr Benziecie claims he discovered that the same site had been allocated to a rival group, allegedly led by Kojo Bumba, under an arrangement also involving a US$100,000 payment, allegedly brokered through Axim MP, Catherine.
When confronted, Ms Donkor acknowledged dealings with the MP but denied knowledge of Bumba’s operation. She nonetheless assured Mr Benziecie that the matter would be resolved.
With no written contract forthcoming despite verbal approval and confirmation of a Minerals Commission licence, Mr Benziecie mobilised machinery and began operations on 17 April. His team quickly encountered extensive environmental degradation, with illegal mining already ongoing on the site.
Efforts to relocate were blocked by other groups claiming similar authorisation from Madam List. Matters escalated when armed individuals, some in military uniform and others in plainclothes, stormed the site and forcibly halted operations. The Ghana Armed Forces later confirmed to Mr Benziecie that no sanctioned deployment had been ordered, raising concerns that the so-called security personnel were imposters.
Despite repeated follow-ups, neither a refund nor formal access to the concession was granted. Mr Benziecie alleges that Adamus security and personnel on-site denied any knowledge of him, even after he submitted proof of payments and communication with Donkor and Madam List. Two of his workers were arrested during one such altercation.
On 22 April, Adamus security reportedly dismantled Mr Benziecie’s operational setup. He forwarded gold samples, coordinates and photos to Donkor, but days later, further armed personnel arrived under orders from Madam List to remove him completely.
WhatsApp messages allegedly show Angela questioning Mr Benziecie’s “backing” and suggesting he was working with Chinese miners, a claim he denies, clarifying that the only Chinese national involved had delivered spare parts and had no role in operations.
In an effort to continue the partnership, Mr Benziecie paid a second tranche of US$50,000 and a US$10,000 facilitation fee on 25 April, bringing his total cash outlay to US$110,000. Despite this, Adamus security again blocked access, and meetings with the supposed site coordinator, “Moses” (later identified as Adamus’ COO), failed to yield results.
Following another meeting on 27 April with senior Adamus officials, the concession was reportedly divided between Mr Benziecie and another party. However, the document issued was merely a Letter of Intent, promptly rejected by the Minerals Commission as invalid.
In early May, Madam List proposed revising the original 20% production share to a 25/75 split in favour of BAM Mining, Mr Benziecie’s firm. A breakdown was shared via WhatsApp: 15% to Adamus Resources, 8% to Madam List, and 2% to Donkor. Though Donkor responded with a “thumbs up” emoji, no formal contract was provided.
After depositing 15% of the initial production into Adamus’s Stanbic Bank account, Mr Benziecie resumed work on 17 May, but production was low. Torrential rains on 23 May further disrupted activities.
Amidst this downtime, he introduced a fuel-saving product, Oxytane, which Madam List expressed interest in testing at Adamus’s Mali site. Around the same time, he was given a letter authorising him to clear illegal miners from the Adamus concession. However, investigations revealed that the District Chief Executive of Nzema East, Frank Okpenyen Bonzo, was allegedly behind some of the unauthorised mining.
After an alleged GHS 300,000 payment supposedly intended for Madam List was delivered through Donkor, Bonzo reportedly turned against Mr Benziecie, denying the transaction and spreading falsehoods. Relations between Angela List and Benziecie deteriorated soon after.
While testing Oxytane abroad, Mr Benziecie’s team seized 15 illegal excavators. However, upon his return, he was informed that a representative of MP Catherine had paid US$300,000 to Madam List for the release of the equipment. Angela did not respond to his inquiries, while Donkor allegedly encouraged him to “go ahead and arrest those involved.”
Disillusioned, Mr Benziecie halted all operations and proposed a new reclamation plan. Though initially approved verbally by Madam List, Adamus Security again shut him out. That marked the end of any direct communication.
Subsequent complaints to the Minerals Commission and police in Takoradi yielded no progress. Mr Benziecie claims the assigned investigator visited Angela and Donkor in Accra and later refused to communicate with him.
In a final written statement, Mr Benziecie said: “From the outset, I was misled, manipulated, and ultimately defrauded under false pretences by Madam Angela List, Rebecca Donkor, and their associates. I met every financial obligation, facilitation fees, site payments, production shares, yet I was unlawfully denied access and betrayed.”
He further accuses Madam List of enabling illegal mining on the Adamus concession in exchange for bribes or revenue shares, while ignoring environmental and legal breaches.
“This is not a mere business disagreement. It is criminal deception and abuse of office,” he asserted.
Mr Benziecie is now calling on the Ghana Police Service, the Office of the Special Prosecutor, and the Minerals Commission to launch a full criminal investigation. He states that he is prepared to provide WhatsApp chats, payment records, site maps, photos, and audio files to substantiate his allegations.
More to come!
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