The Kade District Magistrates’ Court, on Friday, sentenced Samuel Mensah, a 34-year-old man, who claims to be a Journalist, to a total of 48 months in prison in hard labour for defrauding three persons.

Presenting the facts, Police Chief Inspector Francis Cobbina said Mensah collected GHc1,700 and GHc900 from Awusatu Umar and Moro Yakubu respectively, with the promise of getting them admitted and recruited into the Tamale Nursing Training School and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) respectively, but failed to honour his promise.

He said Awusatu Umar and Moro Yakubu are siblings, who recently completed Senior High School and wished to pursue their respective dreams. Mensah deceived the siblings that he could get them into their preferred institutions and collected the monies for the purpose.

Mensah pleaded guilty to the court presided over by Mr. Abdul Majid Iliasu, with explanation, and was thus sentenced to 24 months in prison in hard labour.

In a related case, Mensah was also charged for collecting GHc2,250 from one Esther Amoako, through false means, that he could get her employed with the GIS.

He again pleaded guilty with explanation and was sentenced to 24 months in prison in hard labour.

The court, however, ordered him to refund the monies he collected from the three persons after completing his prison term.

Mensah had explained that he collected the money and gave it to another person who promised to help, but the magistrate deemed his explanation to be contradictory, incoherent and inconsistent.