An accountant who swindled 34 people of GH¢5,800.00 under the pretext of helping to get them employed by the Ghana Education Service (GES) has been sentenced to three years imprisonment by a Kumasi Circuit Court.

Frank Ntiamoah was charged with defrauding by false pretence and pleaded not guilty.

Police Chief Inspector Isaac Mensah Appenteng told the court presided over by Justice William Boampong, that the convict is an accountant at the Offinso North District Office of the GES.

He said in April 2010, he was at the Ahmadiyya Educational Unit for a visit where one Daniel Osei had gone to look for a “Pupil Teacher” appointment for his son who had completed Senior High School(SHS).

He overhead the Human Resource Manager ask Osei to leave his telephone number behind so that he could be contacted as soon as the Educational Unit received the green light to employ people.

Ntiamoah took down the telephone number, later called to introduce himself as an accountant of the GES and convinced him that the Service was looking for young men and women to employ in the newly created Offinso North District.

Osei expressed interest and they arranged to meet, during which the convict demanded GH¢150.00 as processing fee.

Ntiamoah also asked him to inform others about the job opportunity. Thirty-three (33) additional unemployed youth responded, paying a total of GH¢5,800.00 to him together with application letters and certificates.

He kept telling the victims’ stories after taking the monies until last June, when they made a formal report to the police.**