Guess who’s back: Don Golo ends up behind bars again
Sources claim that from 2012 to 2013, the con man made enough money to purchase three houses.
SUKKUR:
Amanat Ali Golo aka Don Golo has once again landed in jail on charges of fraud.
Last week, the don, was released on bail from Sukkur jail. However, a day before Eidul Azha, he was arrested by the Punjab police who handed him over to the Daharki police.
Don Golo shot to fame last year when his business of doubling peoples money became an instant success. Initially, Don Golo was regarded as a hero by people of lower-income groups but then wealthy people in his district, Ghotki, also started getting in touch to make money 'the easy and fast way'. His fame was not restricted to his village, Naukot, or to Ghotki - he was also known for his 'talent' in Kandhkot-Kashmore, Rahimyar Khan, Bahawalpur, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Khairpur, Nawabshah, Naushero Feroz and even Multan.
Golo used to do his business through agents and sub-agents in different towns which raised concerns among some about how reliable his business actually was. Don Golo's claim to fame was questioned by multiple religious and political parties who called his business "illegal and un-Islamic". He was eventually arrested by the police as he tried to run away with his clients' money in August, 2013.
The don speaks
Narrating his side of the story from the office of the Ghotki SSP, Don Golo said that he used to work as a security guard for a private company and was forced to go into business when an influential person from the area kidnapped his family.
Golo, a resident of the Naukot village near Daharki, said that it started when he bought a motorcycle on instalments and went into debt when he couldn't make the payments on time. His friends suggested that he could start a business where he'd make money by doubling other peoples' investments but said that he wasn't ready for something like that. But then an influential person from his area kidnapped his family and things changed.
"I succumbed to the pressure," he said. "When I started the business I returned double the amount to my customers. This attracted more clients and I was making more money than expected." He added that people from the Mahar and Lund families used to give him a five per cent commission on the money when it was deposited.
According to Golo, he did not collect any money from the client directly but used agents picked out by those influential indiviuals. These agents, he claimed, collected the money and did not issue any receipts. This way there was no documented proof on how much money was given, or who it was with.
"I am ready to return money to anyone who has a receipt with my signature on it," he said.
The media responds
Journalists in Ghotki, however, don't believe a word he says. They claimed that Don Golo's story was baseless and untrue. They said that Amanat Ali started his business in 2012 after accepting Rs1,000 from residents and returning Rs2,000 after a month had gone by. "This is how he gained their trust and they started giving him more money in return for more," they said. "But as the investment grew the residents didn't see the money again. Fourteen months had passed and Golo was unable to return the money." They added that this led the people to protest and as a result Don Golo was arrested by the police and sent to jail.
Sources claim that from 2012 to 2013, Golo made enough money to purchase three houses in Islamabad along with a couple of luxury vehicles. They believe he earned more than Rs2.5 billion. However, other sources claim that Don Golo's houses, cars and money have since been occupied by others and he is left with nothing.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2014.
Amanat Ali Golo aka Don Golo has once again landed in jail on charges of fraud.
Last week, the don, was released on bail from Sukkur jail. However, a day before Eidul Azha, he was arrested by the Punjab police who handed him over to the Daharki police.
Don Golo shot to fame last year when his business of doubling peoples money became an instant success. Initially, Don Golo was regarded as a hero by people of lower-income groups but then wealthy people in his district, Ghotki, also started getting in touch to make money 'the easy and fast way'. His fame was not restricted to his village, Naukot, or to Ghotki - he was also known for his 'talent' in Kandhkot-Kashmore, Rahimyar Khan, Bahawalpur, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Khairpur, Nawabshah, Naushero Feroz and even Multan.
Golo used to do his business through agents and sub-agents in different towns which raised concerns among some about how reliable his business actually was. Don Golo's claim to fame was questioned by multiple religious and political parties who called his business "illegal and un-Islamic". He was eventually arrested by the police as he tried to run away with his clients' money in August, 2013.
The don speaks
Narrating his side of the story from the office of the Ghotki SSP, Don Golo said that he used to work as a security guard for a private company and was forced to go into business when an influential person from the area kidnapped his family.
Golo, a resident of the Naukot village near Daharki, said that it started when he bought a motorcycle on instalments and went into debt when he couldn't make the payments on time. His friends suggested that he could start a business where he'd make money by doubling other peoples' investments but said that he wasn't ready for something like that. But then an influential person from his area kidnapped his family and things changed.
"I succumbed to the pressure," he said. "When I started the business I returned double the amount to my customers. This attracted more clients and I was making more money than expected." He added that people from the Mahar and Lund families used to give him a five per cent commission on the money when it was deposited.
According to Golo, he did not collect any money from the client directly but used agents picked out by those influential indiviuals. These agents, he claimed, collected the money and did not issue any receipts. This way there was no documented proof on how much money was given, or who it was with.
"I am ready to return money to anyone who has a receipt with my signature on it," he said.
The media responds
Journalists in Ghotki, however, don't believe a word he says. They claimed that Don Golo's story was baseless and untrue. They said that Amanat Ali started his business in 2012 after accepting Rs1,000 from residents and returning Rs2,000 after a month had gone by. "This is how he gained their trust and they started giving him more money in return for more," they said. "But as the investment grew the residents didn't see the money again. Fourteen months had passed and Golo was unable to return the money." They added that this led the people to protest and as a result Don Golo was arrested by the police and sent to jail.
Sources claim that from 2012 to 2013, Golo made enough money to purchase three houses in Islamabad along with a couple of luxury vehicles. They believe he earned more than Rs2.5 billion. However, other sources claim that Don Golo's houses, cars and money have since been occupied by others and he is left with nothing.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2014.