Recruitment scam: Police officer dupes 44 persons

A police officer has been hauled before the Accra Circuit Court after duping 44 persons, with a promise of enlisting them into the service.

Sergeant Kennedy Asomani failed to keep his word after allegedly collecting GH¢100,000 in total.

Sergeant Asomani, now on interdiction, is said to have told the complainants that he was enlisting people through protocol links to the Ghana Police Service.

The accused is facing four counts of defrauding by false pretence, charges he has denied knowledge of.

The court presided over by Priscilla Dapaah Mireku, admitted him to bail in the sum of GH¢100,000.00 with three sureties, one to be justified.

Asomani refunded GH¢33,000.00 out of the amount in open court.

The court has ordered the prosecution to file their disclosures two days to the next adjourned date.

Asomani is expected to reappear on June 8.

The defence counsel, Benjamin Afari, prayed the court to admit his client to bail as he was not a flight risk and that his client would not interfere in police investigations.

Mr Afari said the accused had credible persons who would stand as sureties for him, adding that the accused had monetised some of his property to defray the cost.

Defense counsel said when remanded into custody, the accused would not be able to sell those properties.

The prosecuting, Chief Inspector John S.K. Gohoho, prayed the court to attach strings to the bail condition such that it would compel the accused to attend court proceedings.

Chief Inspector Gohoho informed the court that the police had retrieved GH¢33,000.00 from the accused person.

The prosecution’s case was that the complainants, John Takyi, Eric Affum Apraku, Kissy Patterson, and Daniel Oppong are a bookseller, public servant, fire officer, and police civilian employee.

Asomani, attached to the Estate Unit of the Ghana Police Service headquarters, has been interdicted.

The prosecution said in 2018 and 2019, the accused person went around introducing himself to several people, including the four complainants, that he was enlisting people into the Ghana Police Service through protocol links.

According to the prosecution, Asomani also told the complainant that he could help any of their relatives who wanted to be enlisted into the Ghana Police Service.

Based on the assurance of the accused person, Jasper Takyi, one of the complainants, parted with GH¢62,500.00 on behalf of 25 people.

The prosecution said the accused collected GH¢8,500.00 from Affum, the second complainant and GH¢20,000.00 from Patterson.

Later Asomani collected GH¢6,500.00 from Oppong, the fourth complainant.

But Asomani could not honour his promise and went into hiding.

On April 29, 2021, Asomani was arrested by the complainants from his hideout at Kanda, Accra and handed over to the police at Cantonments for further investigations.

During investigations, cash in the sum of GH¢33,000.00 was retrieved from Asomani.