The arrest follows complaints by some residents that the company has been operating secretly despite being dissolved by the Commercial Division of the Accra High Court last year.
According to starrfm.com.gh, the suspects were arrested in a swoop conducted in Trom, Two-Streams, Bornya and other parts of New Juaben South where they operate surreptitiously in rented apartments.
Residents complained that the continued operation of the company has increased criminal activities in their localities. They alleged that many victims of the company’s fraudulent activities from neighbouring West African nationals and Ghanaians become stranded and resort to stealing to survive.
It may be recalled that in 2022, the Accra High Court ordered the dissolution of Quest Net Limited (Q-NET) for engaging in dishonest, illegal and fraudulent business activities.
The court’s order followed Attorney-General (A-G), Godfred Yeboah Dame’s petition seeking the dissolution of the network marketing company for operating in a manner akin to a Ponzi scheme.
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Justice Jennifer Abena Dadzi who presided over the court upheld the arguments made by the A-G in a judgment dated July 20, 2022.
The court also restrained the directors, members and officers of the company from exercising any powers that pertained to the running of the company under the then Companies Act, 1963, Act 179, under which Q-NET was incorporated.
It further granted the A-G an order to appoint the Registrar of Companies, in her capacity as Official Liquidator, to exercise the powers of a liquidator, including managing the assets of Q-NET pending the making of a winding order by the court.
“In this regard, the money obtained by the respondent from its activities represents proceeds of crime and I find that the failure of the respondent to explain the nature of its activities and what it was doing with the money so collected from the public, short of laundering the money, is itself indicative of the company operating in an illegal or inherently objectionable manner,” the court held
Although the court order has been served on Q-NET, it is reported that the workers have been carrying out their illegal activities under cover.
Modus operandi:
Unsuspecting people are asked to buy a form for Ghc100 and pay at least Ghc4,200 for the purchase of a product online and additionally pay a Ghc400 hostel fee.
They are promised an initial commission of $225 for the first month and as high as $76,725 monthly commission after four years of joining the network marketing company and referring others onboard the company.
West African nationals mostly Togolese, and Nigeriens Burkinabes who fall victim to the scam are asked to pay huge amounts to be recruited into COCOBOD mining, and football clubs.
When they arrive at the company’s offices, are allegedly kidnapped and camped in rooms, with their mobile phones seized. They are forced to use the same deceptive means to bring other victims before they are freed.