'Fake' soldier accused of scamming lawyer out of GH₵192,000 in land guard deal
A businessman has been accused of defrauding a lawyer of GH₵192,000 and has since appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
Mahama Saani Razak, also known as Major Zack Gariba Tanko, is alleged to have impersonated a military officer and offered to deploy junior personnel to guard the complainant’s land at Kwabenya.
However, the police has told the court that investigations later revealed that Razak was not a member of the Ghana Armed Forces.
He has been charged with defrauding by false pretences.
Razak and his wife, Hudu Fatimata Neina, are also facing additional charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, to wit defrauding.
They have both pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah has granted them bail in the sum of GH¢300,000 each, with two sureties to be justified with moveable property.
The prosecution has been ordered to file disclosures and witness statements by July 30, 2025. The case has been adjourned to August 8, 2025.
Chief Inspector Ebenezer Teye Okuffo, prosecuting, stated that the complainant, a North Legon-based lawyer, was introduced to Razak in March 2025 by a friend who claimed Razak was in the military.
Razak, who claims to be a miner resident in Dodowa, allegedly took the complainant to Burma Camp and introduced himself as a Major with the Military Police.
He reportedly offered to “ward off” land guards from the complainant’s property using junior officers.
The complainant agreed and paid GH¢192,000 via mobile money transfers to numbers linked to Hudu and two other individuals — Abdul-Aziz Alhassan and Isaaka Dogoma.
Razak and Hudu subsequently failed to honour the arrangement and went into hiding.
Following enquiries with the Ghana Armed Forces, the complainant discovered Razak was not a military officer and filed a police report.
According to the prosecution, Razak denied the allegations in his caution statement, while Hudu admitted receiving an undisclosed amount via her mobile money account, which she claimed to have withdrawn on Razak’s behalf.
