Victims of Darfur’s Mawasir Market Ponzi scheme ‘duped again’

The victims of the 2010 ‘Mawasir market’ investment scam in El Fasher, North Darfur, have demanded their cases be directly referred to a court. One of the victims of the Mawasir market Ponzi scheme, set up early 2010, explained to Radio Dabanga from El Fasher that the victims had rejected the compensation offered, amounting to ten percent of their due amounts. He stressed that the allocated amount is not a solution to their problem “nor is it satisfactory”, and demanded that they either be given an acceptable compensation or “the cases of all those affected must be referred from the prosecutors’ offices to the courts, so that the judiciary can rule on them”. A victim from Nyala, South Darfur, told Radio Dabanga that they went to receive their due compensation amount agreed on at 30 percent of their losses. To their surprise, they discovered that the amount had been reduced to ten percent of their total dues, plus they were requested to dismiss their complaints. This new situation prompted them to refuse the compensation offered. He reported that between 30-40 people rejected the compensation, considering the amounts too small and unfair in comparison to the amounts taken from them. The ‘Mawasir market’ was an investment scam that lured investors to deposit cash, automobiles or other properties with agents who promised them to reimburse them at a later date at above-market prices. Many investors were never paid. Demonstrations took place and later riots broke out in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, which were crushed by force. File photo: Demonstration in El Fasher in 2010  Related: Justice Ministry team says making progress on Darfur Ponzi claims (23 February 2011) Government starts compensating Ponzi scam victims in Darfur (21 June 2011)