2019-06-18T09:06:16+00:00

Why we investigate Ghanaian swindler Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh

18 June 20192 May 2020/Johan

This website offers the results of a thorough journalistic investigation into the person, practices and projects of Ghanaian swindler Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh.

The research project started in June 2019, when Prempeh duped two accommodations in the Netherlands. It quickly became clear that he scammed multiple people and companies in Ghana and abroad, commited fraud, and sytematically lied about his CV and accomplishments.

What makes this case salient is that Prempeh is connected to people in high society in Ghana and abuses people of good standing to rip off others. It provides a unique, detailed insight in how this swindler operates.

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Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh caught by the police

1 May 20204 May 2020/Johan

Swindler Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh has been remanded in custody in Ghana. He allegedly forged documents claiming to be recruiting for the Ghana Police Service.

Anyone duped by Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh is kindly requested to contact the police officer handling the case:

Detective Sergeant Awuah +233 24 044 7640
Peki Police Station, Volta Region, GHANA

You can also contact Mr Elvis Ntow who is in charge of the fraud unit at the Accra police headquarters.

If convicted, and depending on the number of police reports, Prempeh can face several years in prison.

Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh: the questions that remain

31 December 20191 January 2020/Johan

This website offers the results of a thorough journalistic investigation into the person, practices and projects of Ghanaian swindler Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh. But some questions remain.

Our research focused on the main elements in his CV that he lied about, and the cases where he committed fraud and scammed people. Some questions that emerged in our research we will try to address here. We do this with a clear disclaimer though: the answers express only the personal observation / impression of the investigators.

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ARB Apex Bank confirms: Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh committed forgery and fraud

16 October 20191 January 2020/Johan

Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh has such a strong sense of entitlement, that he even writes recommendations for himself. ARB Apex Bank in Ghana confirmed that he used their letterhead, impersonated one of their credit managers, falsified his signature and fabricated a whole letter glorifying himself.

One of our sources provided us with a recommendation letter, dated 21 September 2018, and directed at the Principal of Wageningen University & Research, a Dutch university where Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh had applied for a masters’ study in Organic Agriculture. In this letter, signed by Roderick Ayeh, a credit risk manager with ARB Apex Bank in Ghana, Addeah receives a warm recommendation.

On the bank’s letterhead Ayeh expresses his “wholehearted support” for Addeah, who according to the letter was employed with the bank from 2006 to 2010. Ayeh says he was “impressed with Prempeh’s writing skills, initiative, and ability to meet deadlines”. He performed greatly for the bank and “brought a rich knowledge of historical and contemporary ways of doing business banking in the 21st century.”

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Police in Ghana is looking for swindler Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh

9 October 20191 January 2020/Johan

The police in Ghana is looking for Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh, who swindled a teacher of the Golden Sunbeam International School in Accra for GHS 21,000, and is currently on the run.

Prempeh lured the school teacher into paying him this amount for a non-existing schooling course in the Netherlands and a (failed) visa application process. Her full story is described in this article.

On July 17, 2019 she petitioned the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service in Accra for assistance. Her report was supported by the Dutch ambassador to Ghana, Ron Strikker, who also called on the police to act because Prempeh duped two accommodations in the Netherlands earlier this year. These accommodations filed a report with the Dutch police, as a consequence of which Prempeh now also faces criminal persecution in the Netherlands.

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How Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh stole a school teacher’s entire life savings

4 October 20191 January 2020/Johan

In Spring 2019 Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh swindled a Ghanaian school teacher for 21,000 Cedi (4,200 US Dollar). As this was her entire life savings, it landed her in financial distress and depression. In this criminal act he abused the Ghana Library Authority, the Dutch Embassador to Ghana and Dutch NGO Quest For Wisdom Foundation. This is our reconstruction of what happened.

In late 2018 and early 2019 Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh lived in the Bijlmer area of Amsterdam. The neighborhood hosts a large Ghanaian migrant community. Why he moved there is unclear, though it could be related to his application at the University of Amsterdam. In this period he volunteered with two organizations, Burennetwerk and the Vrijwilligers Centrale Amsterdam, for small unpaid jobs. This landed him with a Dutch NGO, the Quest For Wisdom Foundation in Weesp, near Amsterdam.

This organization holds an official cultural charity status and is led by philosopher Heidi Muijen. It aims to “stimulate intercultural learning and diversity as a way to gain wisdom.” Impressed by Addeah’s gentle and thoughtful appearance, and without any background checks, the board members of this foundation immediately invited him to contribute articles to their website Wijsheidsweb, articles that Muijen also quoted in a contribution for scientific magazine Civis Mundi.

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Ghanaian Member of Parliament confirms: Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh scammed me

3 October 20191 January 2020/Johan

In Spring 2019 Addeah Prempeh contacted a Ghanaian Member of Parliament, Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, and persuaded her to give him money for his studies in the Netherlands. She now realizes he scammed her.

Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings is the eldest daughter of former President of Ghana Jerry Rawlings and a champion for women’s and children’s rights and the environment. In 2017 Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh approached her to speak at his Ghana Readers Club event, to help promote reading in the nation. She posted the pictures of this event on her Facebook timeline, which is how we found her and why we contacted her.

In an e-mail dated September 16, 2019, she explained: “I met Addeah for the first time in the same year he did his reading event. He approached me in Parliament with a convincing pitch. When I got to the venue I saw Dutch ambassador Ron Strikker as well as a rep from the USAID there. I suppose it added more legitimacy.”

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Is Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh really a best-selling author on the life of Ghanaian street children?

2 October 20191 January 2020/Johan

Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh claims he’s an award-winning best-selling author in his country Ghana. But is this really true?

Let’s first look at what he writes about himself. On Wijsheidsweb, a website of Dutch NGO Quest For Wisdom Foundation, he states:

“In 2004 I received my second big award in writing. I was awarded the UNESCO Best Children’s Writer in a completion that saw over one thousand people contesting and with me emerging as the winner.”

“While still in active service at the bank, I felt the urge to go out there and do more work that would rather solve the Nation’s problems other than just coming to sit in the office everyday doing credit and debit; and so I decided that my expertise in handling children could be of tremendous assistance in solving the issue of Ghana’s growing street children problem and this pushed me to volunteer with Chance for Children, a Swiss street children project with an office in Ghana, in 2010.”

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Is Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh really the acting President of the Ghana Readers Club?

23 September 20191 January 2020/Johan

Wherever Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh comes, he proudly introduces himself as the President of the Ghana Readers Club. But what kind of entity is this, what role does it play in public life in Ghana, and is Addeah Prempeh really the acting President as he claims?

When his Dutch host summoned Addeah to pay his outstanding bill, Addeah showed him a hardcopy of this article in Ghanaian newspaper Daily Graphic, dated August 29, 2017. His host asked: “Why do you show me this article; what is your message? That you don’t have to pay your bill because you’re the President of the Ghana Readers Club and therefore are entitled to have things your way?”

The anecdote illustrates not just Addeah’s strong sense of entitlement, but also how important the Ghana Readers Club is for his alleged reputation.

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Why universities around the world reject Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh’s applications

20 September 20191 January 2020/Johan

An interesting aspect of Ghanaian swindler Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh is that he persistently tries to gain access to universities around the world. He applies for all kinds of courses, master studies, scholarships and grants. However, most universities and scholarship organizations who check his diplomas and transcripts turn him down.

Checking Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh’s academic track record was a time-intensive investigation, during which we contacted nine universities in six countries. Based on what we found we are confident to conclude that he fabricated his diplomas, transcripts and recommendations, and doesn’t hold an academic title. Therefore he is not qualified to apply for any master program at any university.

In this longread we also explain in detail how universities check the diplomas of international applicants, and what role scholarships play in this.

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The World Bank confirms: Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh lied about winning an essay contest

13 September 20191 January 2020/Johan

In 2010 Kwadwo Addeah Prempeh joined the World Bank International Essay Writing Competition. He claims: “I emerged as the third of 200 best authors of the world and was called to receive my award in Sweden.” But is this true?

Addeah Prempeh has a strong sense of entitlement. So strong that he even makes up prizes he never won. Especially when it comes to writing, as he wants to be seen as a great author.

Already in 2005 and 2006 he joined the World Bank’s International Essay Competition in an attempt to receive recognition. These attempts failed, so he tried again in 2010, altough based on the competition’s participation criteria – only young people from developing countries in the age group of 18-25 were allowed to join – he was no longer qualified as he was already 29 at that time.

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A swindler from Ghana