MA 37-year-old self-styled business man who collected GH¢189,650 from some nurses and teachers under the guise of sending them abroad is in the grip of the police.
Agatiba Simon allegedly posed as a nurse with the Brong-Ahafo Regional Hospital E&T Department and at another time claimed to be an officer of the CID of the Ghana Police service to defraud the nurses and teachers totalling 11.
He had said he could secure visas for them to travel outside Ghana.
Simon is currently standing trial at Sunyani District Court on charge of defrauding by false pretence contrary to Section 131(1) of the Criminal Code and other offences act, Act,29 1960.
Simon was arrested in March when 11 complainants reported to the Sunyani police that he defrauded them various sums of money ranging between GH¢10,000 to GH¢27,000 to help them get visa and tickets to travel to the United State of America (USA), Australia, Canada and Germany but failed to execute the job.
Chief Superintendent Emmanuel Aknnor told the court presided over by Frank Obikyere that the accused who lives at Sunyani Newtown sometime in October 2018 introduced himself as a businessman and other occasions as a nurse and a police CID officer to the complainants at different locations.
He told them he could secure them visas and air tickets to travel to abroad to work.
The complainants, including Michael Amponsah, paid GH¢25,700, Eunice Yeboah (GH¢27,000), Tanor Prince (GH¢17,000), Sara Faa Obour (GH¢14,000), John Kojo Sekyere (GH¢14,600), among others.
The moneys were paid into the accused NIB account number 2009018418201 and mobile money account number 0244925350 individually.
However, after collecting the amount, Simon started giving excuses till March when his conduct was reported to the police, leading to his arrest.
He confessed during interrogation and pleaded for time to refund the money.
Out of a total amount of GH¢189,650, Simon only refunded GH¢13,000.
He has been remanded into police custody to reappear on a later date.
FROM Daniel Y Dayee, Sunyani
danielyaodayee@yahoo.com