Sam George Faces Backlash Over Cyber Fraud Remarks Following Abu Trica's Arrest
- Samuel Nartey George defended the arrest of socialite Abu Trica, linking it to efforts to restore Ghana's digital image
- He said cyber fraud was harming content creators and claimed platforms like PayPal left Ghana due to online scams
- Ghanaians reacted to his statement with mixed views, with some applauding him and others questioning his justification
Samuel Nartey George, the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, is facing backlash over the recent arrest of socialite Abu Trica and others for cyber fraud.
Source: Twitter
Abu Trica faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and a forfeiture specification, and could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
The Ghanaian security agencies and institutions that helped the FBI apprehend him include the Attorney-General’s Office, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), and the National Intelligence Bureau.
Sam George reacts to Abu Trica's arrest
In a social media post, the Communications Minister, affectionately known as Sam Dzata George, described the operations led by the CSA boss as 'another surgical strike at the heart of cyber fraud' in the country.
However, mixed reactions ensued right after he commended the head of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Divine Selase Agbeti, for leading the efforts to arrest Abu Trica.
Sam George had taken to Facebook to post:
He decided to address the criticism and the backlash he faced because of his initial post.
According to him, the reason he stood by Abu Trica's arrest was the need to correct, for the better, Ghana's digital economy and international reputation.
In a trending video, the MP tackled criticism from social media users who argued that the government should create jobs instead of targeting 'fraud boys'.
Sam George countered by highlighting the direct negative impact of cybercrime on legitimate Ghanaian content creators and online businesses.
"Those same people are asking me to get PayPal to monetise... to get TikTok to monetise and Meta to monetise," he stated. "Well, they will blacklist Ghana so long as there's fraud happening in Ghana. The reason why PayPal left Ghana is because of fraud."
He argued that the illegal activities of a few are preventing the majority of hardworking Ghanaians from earning a legitimate income online, as international platforms remain wary of the country's reputation.
The X post with Sam George's statement is below:
Reactions to Sam George's comment on cybercrime
Some Ghanaians who watched the video of Sam George's statement still stood by their words of condemnation regarding Abu Trica.
Some applauded his effort to curb cybercrime, while others who had initially criticised him had no change of heart.
YEN.com.gh has compiled some of the comments are below.
@rezzlaxc said:
"How can you as a minister justify this? Ghanaians aren’t committing more fraud than Eastern Europeans, and they have PayPal, so this isn’t valid."
@K_thompson00 wrote:
"But PayPal dey US? Or is there more fraud in Ghana than in the US?"
@jonesofei commented:
"This dude is gaining my respect. Never really liked him because of his temperament. But respect him for this."
Source: Twitter
Sam George displays energetic dance moves
YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that Sam George proved he was full of energy when he hit the dance floor at a concert.
The Ghanaian minister surprised many with his dance moves at the Prampram in Worship event that he had organised.
The MP, who was in a white kaftan, waved his handkerchief while dancing to the song from local gospel singer Joe Mettle.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
