Aflao, Aug. 28, GNA - Alex Ankamah, 32, a self-styled cement dealer, has been arrested by the Police in Aflao for allegedly duping a number of unsuspecting people of monies totaling 94,009.00 Ghana Cedis. Mr. Ahmed Issa Yakubu, Aflao District Police Commander, who confirmed the story to GNA, said the suspect collected monies to supply his clients with 10,782 bags of cement but failed to fulfil his promise. The Aflao District Police Commander said Ankamah sold the cement he bought with the amount he took from the victims to other people and also collected cement on credit from a cement company and refused to pay. Mr Ankamah said Ankamah early this year was alleged to have collected 33, 500.00 Ghana cedis from an Aflao-based officer of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to supply him 3,500 bags of cement at Kintampo.

The Aflao District Police Commander said the cement was not delivered, prompting the GIS officer to make inquiries at the Aflao Diamond Cement Factory only to be told that Ankamah paid only 1,886.00 Ghana Cedis for 200 bags of cement.

Mr Yakubu said following the arrest of Ankamah, other people who claimed the suspect duped them reported to the Police station. He gave their names as Baba Salifu, a worker at the Cement factory, and Miss Ivy Hadzide, a trader from Afife in the Ketu North District, who claimed Ankamah collected 500 bags of cement worth 4,700.00 Ghana Cedis and 652 bags of cement costing 6,150.00 Ghana Cedis respectively from them on credit to supply the cement to some persons but failed to pay.

Others victims Mr Yakubu mentioned were "Kwaku Fosu from Berekum and Osei Bawuah, from Odumase, both in the Brong Ahafo Region, who claimed they paid Ankamah 16,353.00 Ghana Cedis and 7,544.00 Ghana Cedis for 1,800 bags and 800 bags of cement respectively". The rest were Daniel Amoah, 4, 700.00 Ghana cedis for 500 bags, Simon Ameyaw, 2,760.00 for 300 bags of cement and Georgina Baiden, 9,712.90 Ghana Cedis for 1,030 bags of cement. Mr Yakubu said in the case of Mr Nketia Yeboah from Drobo in the Brong-Ahafo region, Ankamah took money from him to arrange for transport to convey 1,000 bags of cement worth 9, 085.00 Ghana Cedis to Drobo but allegedly diverted the consignment.

He said the suspect admitted all the allegations and claimed he sold 1,850 bags of cement to some people on credit but could not trace them. Mr Yakubu said Ankamah also claimed he used 15,000.00 Ghana Cedis out of monies collected to sponsor Kwaku Badu to the United Kingdom and 7,500.00 Ghana Cedis to support Kwaku Kyere to travel to the USA. The Aflao District Police Commander said Ankamah also claimed that he paid 7,500.00 Ghana Cedis to a man he did not name to work on travel documents to enable him escape.

Mr Yakubu said Ankamah, who had made his first appearance at a circuit court in Aflao, was charged for stealing and defrauding and remanded in Police custody to assist in further investigations. He said the suspect's plea was not taken and would reappear at court on September 9. 28 Aug. 09