General News of Wednesday, 3 October 2012

Source: GNA

Fake doctor arrested in Tamale

A self-styled doctor at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH.) has been arrested by the police for allegedly stealing two cars from a medic and an unsuspecting client.

The suspect introduced himself to some staff of the TTH. as a newly posted doctor and after striking some acquaintance, he succeeded in robbing a medical assistant of her Great Wall Volex C30 with registration number GN-5741- 12.

He also used his position as a ‘doctor’ to rob another client of the hospital of GH¢1,000 in addition to an unregistered BMW Dolphin.

The Tamale Metropolitan Police Commander, DSP Caesar Abanga told graphic.com.gh that the medical assistant, reported to the police on Saturday, Sept 29, 2012 that the suspect had borrowed her car for some errands but failed to return it.

He said the Northern Regional Police Command consequently alerted their counterparts in the Upper East and Brong Ahafo regions and that led to the arrest of a taxi driver, Issah Abubakari, who was driving one of the stolen cars to Bolgatanga.

He said upon interrogation, the driver indicated he had been asked by Dramani to drive the car to Bolga, so that he, the suspect, could take delivery of it. “The police made him to call Dramani who directed him to drive to a certain hotel, so the police followed up to effect his arrest,” he said.

DSP Abanga said, that same Saturday, another complainant, Mr Samuel Abobbtey made a similar complaint to the police about the suspect. “He claimed Dramani had lured him into giving him an unregistered BMW belonging to an army officer and GH¢1000 so he could do something in town and return the car with the money, but he never turned up,” he said.

Mr Abanga said the Upper East Police were informed about the new complaint and after questioning the suspect, he admitted to that offence as well and led the police to the place where he had hidden the BMW.

Both Dramani and Abubakari were placed in police custody.

The T.T.H. Director of Medical Affairs, Dr Akanbong Prosper confirmed he had received information about the activities of the suspect at the hospital, but denied that the suspect had performed any medical duties.

One of Dramani’s victims, Mr Abobbtey, who is the Manager of the Agric Forest Washing Bay in Tamale, however, claimed that he had seen the suspect on a number of occasions at the T.T.H. mingling with other doctors with a stethoscope around his neck.

He said on Saturday, September 29, 2012 the suspect visited him at his workplace in his medical apparel and requested for a car and an amount of GH¢1000.

According to Mr Abobbtey, the doctor said he wanted to do something in town with the money and would return in an hour to pay back, adding that because he thought the suspect was a medical officer, he obliged and collected the money from his wife and gave it to him.

He said he later became anxious when the suspect failed to return and traced up to the hospital to find out about the 'doctor', only to be told that no such personality worked at the hospital.