Osei Assibey Antwi – KMA Mayor
Two persons have been arrested for allegedly duping unsuspecting hawkers at Kejetia in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital.
The two suspects, James Nsowaah, 36, and Kwame Owusu, 30, told the victims that the monies would be handed over Osei Assibey Antwi, the Kumasi Mayor.
Nsowah and Owusu were arrested at the PZ area in Kumasi on Wednesday by some staff of the KMA while in the process of collecting the monies.
Efforts are being made to arrest one Adwubi, a cosmetics dealer, who is said to be the ringleader.
Nsowaah and Owusu, who admitted to collecting GH¢10 from each victim, have been handed to the police for further investigations.
Reports indicate that Adwubi, Owusu and Nsowaah lied to the hawkers that some top gurus at the KMA, including the Mayor, had saved their businesses.
They told the unsuspecting hawkers that due to construction works at Kejetia, the KMA was supposed to eject them, adding that the Kumasi Mayor intervened and prevented their ejection from the place.
They asked each hawker to pay GH¢10 each to be given to the mayor for saving their businesses.
The three people have nothing to do with the Kumasi Mayor, but decided to allegedly dupe them.
Their activities were eventually reported to the KMA by some Good Samaritans that led to the arrest of Owusu and Nsowaah.
The Chairman of Petty Traders Association of Kejetia, Eric Prempeh, told DAILY GUIDE that about 100 hawkers were duped by the suspects.
He said the three persons have no links to the mayor.
According to Prempeh, KMA officials were informed about their activities and that led to the arrest of two of the suspects, who were in the process of collecting additional monies from hawkers.
Meanwhile, Goodwin Okumah Nyame, the KMA PRO, has urged the public to arrest people that would demand money from them in the name of the mayor.
According to him, Osei Assibey has not sanctioned anybody to collect money from traders or hawkers in the city.
From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi