A retired officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has been remanded into custody by an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding 60 prospective recruits of GH¢303,200 through a fake recruitment scheme.
The accused, Thomas Dorkenu, 60, has been charged with defrauding by false pretences. The court, presided over by Mr. Kwabena Kodua Obiri-Yeboah, did not take his plea and adjourned the case to August 12, 2026.
Presenting the facts, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Emmanuel Nyamekye told the court that Dorkenu allegedly collected money from the victims after claiming he had secured recruitment slots into the Ghana National Fire Service through a protocol arrangement.
According to the prosecution, the accused approached one of the complainants, Eyram Davordzi-Banini, a midwife at Akatsi, on February 9, 2026, and informed her that he had obtained recruitment slots from the Chief Fire Officer.
The prosecution said Davordzi-Banini subsequently mobilised 60 prospective applicants and, on their behalf, paid a total of GH¢303,200 to Dorkenu as what he described as approved protocol fees.
Investigators alleged that Dorkenu later issued purported appointment letters directing the applicants to report to the Ghana National Fire Service Training School on July 23, 2026.
However, when the applicants arrived for training, they were informed that the appointment letters were fraudulent and had not been issued by the Service.
The matter was subsequently reported to the Chief Fire Officer, who referred the case to the police for investigation, leading to Dorkenu’s arrest.
Police also retrieved a Tecno Spark C30 mobile phone from the accused, which investigators believe was used in the commission of the alleged offence.
During investigations, the prosecution said Dorkenu admitted receiving the money in his caution statement but claimed he had also been deceived by an unidentified person using a Telecel phone number.
The court heard that the mobile phone has been submitted for digital forensic examination, while police continue efforts to trace the user of the Telecel number as investigations into the alleged scam continue.
