Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 7 December 2022

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Ghana Armed Forces arrest man posing as a Lieutenant Colonel with a fake pistol

All two wives of the suspect lived under the impression that he is a real soldier All two wives of the suspect lived under the impression that he is a real soldier

The Ghana Armed Forces has arrested a man posing as a senior military officer at Burma Camp in Accra.

The suspect according to a release signed by GAF, was arrested after making an attempt to access a military installation using forged credentials.

“Military Police personnel have arrested one Rufai Abubakar for posing as a Senior Military Officer and trying to access a military installation inside Burma Camp. The suspect who was dressed in a military camouflage uniform, decorated with fake Lieutenant Colonel ranks, claimed he was stationed at Northern Command Headquarters and was proceeding to the Air Force Base to book a flight to Tamale.

“The suspect who entered Burma Camp in a commercial vehicle was closely monitored as he alighted at a bus stop and headed to the Air Force Base. The guards on duty noted his suspicious behaviour, questioned him and after some incoherent answers, he confessed he was not a service Personnel,” the statement said.

The suspect according to GAF admitted to using his assumed identity to defraud several persons seeking to be recruited into the military.

“He also disclosed that he posed as a Senior Military Officer to enable him to defraud one Mr Abdallah Abdul Fatahu from whom he had collected an amount of Three Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS3,000.00) under the pretext of recruiting him into the Ghana Armed Forces.

“At the time of arrest, the suspect had in his possession fake military identification and business cards and other documents bearing his name. A follow-up search by the Military Police at his two residences at Ablekuma Fan Milk and Olebu respectively led to the retrieval of documents including several certificates and fake Ghana Armed Forces recruitment application summary reports bearing names of defrauded persons, military uniforms and accoutrements and a toy pistol,” the statement added.

The suspect, according to GAF, has since been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service for further investigation and prosecution.

However, GAF noted that more people may have fallen victim to his fraud considering the fact that his two wives lived under the assumption that their husband is a real military officer.

“Such persons are entreated to contact the Police CID to help in investigations and to support GAF and the Security Services in weeding out the miscreants within the service,” the statement added.



GA/WA