A 43-year-old man, who is accused of impersonating a soldier and defrauding a businessman of GH¢192,000.00 under the guise of providing security, has been remanded by a Circuit Court in Accra.
Mahama Sani Razak, also known as Major Zack Gariba Tanko, has denied the charges of defrauding Mr. Lambon Justice Iddrisu by falsely asserting that he and his junior military personnel would safeguard the complainant’s land from land guards.
Razak was remanded by Circuit Court Eleven and is scheduled to reappear on February 10, 2026. The court instructed the prosecution to ensure that the accused, who appeared in court on crutches, is taken to the hospital for a medical examination after he claimed to have sustained injuries during his arrest.
Police Chief Inspector Ebenezer Teye-Okuffo, who presented the facts, stated that Mr. Iddrisu, the complainant, is a businessman residing in North Legon, while Razak claimed to be a miner living in Dodowa, located in the Greater Accra Region.
He mentioned that the complainant owned plots of land in Kwabenya and that in March 2025, the accused introduced himself to him as a military officer.
Chief Inspector Teye-Okuffo informed the court that the accused subsequently took the complainant to Burma Camp, where he further represented himself as a Major in the Ghana Armed Forces, assigned to the Military Police Unit.
During their discussions, the complainant conveyed to the accused that land guards were troubling him regarding his land in Kwabenya.
The accused then asserted that he had the authority to deploy junior military officers to deter the land guards.
Convinced by this representation, the complainant acquiesced, after which the accused demanded and received GH¢192,000.00 to execute the operation.
The court was informed that the accused provided three MTN Mobile Money numbers with varying account names, through which the funds were transferred.
After receiving the money, the accused allegedly failed to fulfil the agreement and went into hiding. Subsequent enquiries at the Ghana Armed Forces revealed that the accused was not a military officer.
Chief Inspector Teye-Okuffo stated that the accused was first brought before Circuit Court Three on July 8, 2025, facing charges of fraud.
He entered a plea of not guilty and was subsequently granted bail set at GH¢300,000.00, accompanied by two justified sureties.
However, after fulfilling the bail requirements, the accused reportedly fled, resulting in the case being dismissed on November 4, 2025, due to lack of prosecution.
The prosecution indicated that in January 2026, the Accra Regional Police Command received intelligence regarding the arrest of the accused at Akuse in the Eastern Region for a similar crime.
A new charge sheet was then filed, and the accused was presented before the court.
Counsel for the accused, Mr. Theophilus Donkor, while requesting bail, asserted that Razak was a businessman owning two shops and three properties in East Legon and was married to four women, three of whom are police officers.
He contended that the accused had pleaded not guilty and was thus presumed innocent until proven guilty, emphasising that the decision to grant bail rested with the court.
He also mentioned that the accused needed medical care, alleging that he had been assaulted during his arrest.
The prosecution opposed the bail request, characterising the accused as a fugitive who would likely flee again if released on bail.
