Former Tamale Central MP Inusah Fuseini has addressed the recent sentencing of his son, Abdul Inusah, by a US court on charges of fraud.

The former Lands Minister expressed the difficulty he faces as a father discussing the issue, given the efforts he had put into raising his son to be a responsible and upright individual.

In an interview with Accra-based Citi TV, he revealed that he believes Abdul's involvement in the fraudulent activity was a result of youthful naivety.

• US court jails former Tamale Central MP’s son 2 years for fraud

Abdul, while pursuing his studies in the US, decided to venture into a business, a move that his father said he did not endorse.

"It is difficult to talk about him because deep inside me, deep inside me I think he was just caught by stupidity and nothing or some level of invincibility," he indicated.

Inusah Fuseini maintained that the primary focus of being sent to school should be on academic pursuits, but it seemed that Abdul was enticed by the prospect of making quick money.

"Well, it is a difficult thing, it is difficult. I mean you train your child, bring up your child to be a useful and responsible person.

"You sit down with him at night and in the day to talk about what decent life is, you try to infuse in him what hard work can do but we are of different generations, he said on July 18.

• US court convicts ex-Tamale Central MP’s son of fraud and money laundering

According to the former MP, his son registered a company during his time as a student and engaged in the purchase of cars for various individuals, including fellow students and acquaintances back in Ghana.

However, one transaction involving Nigerian students led to trouble, as it was discovered that the funds used to buy the car were acquired through fraudulent means, resulting in his son's legal troubles.

"As a student, he had his document so he decided to register a company. I never sanctioned that, I believe that if you are sent to school to learn you must concentrate on your studies and I told him that.

"Now that obviously as a young man, he thought he could make quick bucks so he registered a company and he was actually buying cars for people. I know many people in Ghana whom he bought cars for.

"In this particular case, he bought a car for some guys from Nigeria who were fellow students, colleague students and it turned out that the money used to buy the car was obtained fraudulently and that was his offence," he said.

Inusah Fuseini's emotional struggle with this situation is evident, as he expressed a mix of disappointment and understanding for his son's actions.

Despite the difficulties he faces in discussing the matter, he acknowledged that, as generations differ, young people may sometimes make imprudent decisions without fully considering the consequences.

Ultimately, Inusah Fuseini's focus remains on helping his son learn from his mistakes and grow from the experience. He hopes that the young man will reflect on his choices, realize the impact of his actions, and take the necessary steps to rebuild his life responsibly and ethically.

What happened?

In August 2022, it was reported that the MP's son has been convicted by a United States court of fraud and money laundering.

Evidence at trial revealed that Abdul Inusah, 31, was part of a conspiracy that targeted victims using false personas via email, text messaging, and online dating and social media websites.

The acts span “from at least January 2018 through at least December 2019,” per the report.

Some of them involve “his role in a Huntington-based scheme that defrauded individuals in multiple states through the use of false online personas.”

“The amount included $48,000 to pay overdue taxes on a non-existent gold inheritance in Ghana and $21,000 wired to Bitsav Supply LLC, a shell company set up by Inusah. Another false persona, “Grace,” persuaded a Washington resident to wire funds so “Grace” could maintain her South African cocoa plantation and move to the United States to marry the victim.

“Other victims of the false personas included residents of Ohio and Florida,“ the Department of Justice said.

In the statement published on the DOJ’s website, the jury is said to have found the former MP’s son “guilty of receipt of stolen money, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of wire fraud.”

“The wire fraud counts involve a pair of $2,000 Zelle wire transfers to Inusah from the money obtained using the “Miarama” false persona in January 2019.