A 30-year-old trader, who swindled a female police officer of GHC308,000, has been sentenced to four years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court.
Joseph Diawuo is said to have collected the amount from the police officer under the pretext of enlisting 46 people into the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service and Ghana Armed Forces, which he did not deliver.
Diawuo charged the victims between GHC6,000 and GHC10,000 to secure protocol slots in the three security agencies.
Charged with defrauding by false pretences, he pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mr Isaac Addo, at the end of the trial, found Diawuo guilty of the offence and sentenced him accordingly.
Prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Frimpong, said the complainant, name withheld, was a female police officer residing at Airport Barracks in Accra, while the accused lived at Dominase in the Ashanti Region.
The court heard that about a year ago, the complainant met with the complainant, who informed her that he had protocol slots to recruit interested persons into the Police, Immigration and the Army at a fee ranging from GHC6,000 and GHC10,000.
The convict then asked the complainant to mobilise people who were interested. In the process, the complainant got 46 young men and women for Diawuo. Prosecution said 38 of the victims paid GHc6,000 each, making a total of GHC228,000, while eight paid GHC10,000 each, amounting to GHC80,000.
Of the amount paid, GHC1,500 was to be used for medical screening of each person.
Prosecution said the complainant, after collecting the various amounts from the victims, gave part to Diawuo through his mobile money account.
He took the rest of the amount and oganised medical examination for all the victims at a medical facility at Santasi in the Ashanti Region.
Diawuo went into hiding and cut off all channels of communication with the complainant, who reported the matter to the police for assistance.
He was arrested and charged with the crime.
Source: GNA
