Gold Crest Shareholder Dispute: Amar Singh Hari Rejects Fraud Accusations, Points to Investigations Into Niharika Handa’s Conduct
A shareholder dispute at Ghana-based Gold Crest Refinery has deepened after lawyers for businessman Amar Deep Singh Hari dismissed fraud allegations against him and instead accused fellow shareholder Niharika Handa of being a fugitive who fraudulently obtained Ghanaian citizenship.
In a letter to GhanaWeb responding to a demand from Ms Handa’s lawyers, Sory & Partners, Mr Hari’s counsel at Gyandoh Asmah & Co. described the claims of theft and unscrupulous business practices against their client as “false, baseless and part of a smear campaign.”
The counter-allegations mark an escalation in a corporate dispute that has roiled one of Ghana’s prominent gold refining ventures. According to the letter, a formal petition has been lodged with Ghana’s Criminal Investigations Department seeking the arrest of Ms Handa, her husband Punar Vasu Handa, a former chief executive of Gold Crest, and Pulkit Arora, the refinery’s former chief financial officer.
The petition alleges conspiracy, falsification of accounts, money laundering, and fraudulent incorporation of overseas entities to siphon company funds. It further claims that Ms Handa faces 14 non-bailable arrest warrants issued by a New Delhi court and concealed her legal troubles when applying for Ghanaian citizenship, allegedly altering her year of birth and residency record.
Mr Hari, who insists he is the rightful chairman and acting chief executive of Gold Crest, rejected suggestions that he is a minority shareholder overstating his role. He also denied instigating a GhanaWeb publication on September 10 that drew legal threats from Ms Handa’s camp.
While both sides have traded accusations of fraud, forgery, and defamation, no court has yet ruled on the substance of the claims. Mr Hari’s lawyers cautioned media outlets to exercise “utmost care” in reporting on the dispute, warning that civil action for defamation remained under consideration.
