Trader remanded for defrauding immigration officer over GH¢400,000

A 28-year-old trader, Dorcas Twene Amankwa, has been remanded by the Circuit Court in Accra for allegedly defrauding an Immigration Officer to the sum of GH¢400,000.

The accused person pleaded not guilty to the charge of defrauding by false pretense contrary to section 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, (Act 1960).

Her lawyer, Peter Mensah made a bail application for her but it was vehemently opposed to by prosecutor Chief Inspector, Amoah Richard.

The prosecutor argued that investigations are still ongoing.

The court presided over by Her Honor Mrs. Evelyn Asamoah after listening to the parties remanded her to reappear on May 23, 2022.

According to the brief facts of the case as presented to the court by the Prosecutor, Chief Inspector Richard Amoah, the complainant, Michael Amoah, is an Immigration Officer residing at Nsawam.

Whilst the accused person, Dorcas Twene Amankwa, is a trader residing at Nsawam.

According to the Prosecutor, somewhere last year, 2021, the accused person informed the complainant that she works at the Jubilee House and that she has protocol slots and she can recruit people into the various security agencies in the country.

Chief Inspector Amoah said, the accused encouraged the complainant to bring people for the protocol enlistment at ranging sums between GH¢7,000.00 and GH¢15,000.00.

He told the court that, the complainant sold the idea to acquaintances and other individuals.

He said, those who bought into the idea, paid various money ranging from GH¢7,000.00 to GH¢15,000.00 to the complainant and he also gave same to the accused person for the protocol enlistment.

The Prosecutor said, in all, the accused received a total amount of GH¢402,000.00 from the complainant to enlist 97 in the Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service and other security agencies.

But she failed to enlist the people into the various security agencies.

He told the court that, the complainant became alarmed and reported the matter to Police for assistance.

“On 04/05/2022, the person was arrested for investigation. In her written investigation cautioned statement to the police, she admitted having collected an amount of GH¢400,000.00 from the complainant to enlist forty-nine (49) acquaintance of him into Ghana Prison Service, Ghana Immigration Service and Ghana Police Service.”

The accused mentioned one Boadi as her accomplice but has not been able to lead the Police to the said Boadi.

“On 05/05/2022 other victims also reported that the accused person has collected cash sum of one million nine thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢1,079,000) from them under the pretext of enlisting them into the various security services but failed.