Man sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment for fraud

A designer was last Tuesday sentenced to a nine-month jail term by the Accra Circuit Court for defrauding a pastor of GH¢8,000 under the pretext of facilitating his enlistment into the security services.

Apart from the custodial sentence, the convict, Henry Kwashie, was also ordered by the court, presided over by Mrs Ruby Naa Ayikai Aryetey, to pay a fine of GH¢3, 600 or in default serve an additional nine months in jail.

The convict was further ordered by the court to refund the Gh¢8,000 that he fraudulently took from the reverend minister.

Kwashie had pleaded not guilty to a charge of defrauding by false pretence but the court held that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt to establish his guilt.

Deception

In January 2015, Kwashie, according to the prosecution, introduced himself to the pastor via a phone call as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), stationed at the Accra Regional Criminal Investigative Department (CID).

He (Kwashie) subsequently convinced the pastor that he could facilitate his enlistment into the Ghana Police Service or the Armed Forces.

The prosecutor, ASP Stephen Adjei said Kwashie succeeded in convincing the pastor to part with GH¢2,500 to start with the enlistment process.

Later, Kwashie demanded and received an additional GH¢2,500 from the pastor,an amount he insisted he needed to complete the process.

“In the course of time, Kwashie informed the pastor that he had completed the process and further requested for an extra GH¢3,000 to thank the security bosses,’’ the prosecutor added.

Arrest

Kwashie subsequently switched off his mobile phone and went into hiding.

On March 18, 2016, ASP Adjei stated, the pastor finally got in touch with Kwashie and lured him to come for more money to finalise the process.

“Kwashie was arrested at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange when he came for the money,’’ he said.