Sunyani, July 13, GNA - Police in Sunyani have arrested and placed in custody, Kwabena Ayisi, a 48-year-old former police constable and an ex-convict for allegedly defrauding 13 women of eight million cedis at Fiapre, near Sunyani.

Briefing newsmen, Chief Superintendent of Police, Christian Tetteh Yahonu, Sunyani Municipal Police Commander said Ayisi deceived the victims that he would marry them and had sexual intercourse with them. He said the suspect, charged with stealing and defrauding under false pretences would appear before court soon after investigations. Police Chief Superintendent Yahonu said the police would request the court to order the suspect to undergo an HIV test since he had unprotected sex with the victims.

The Municipal Police Commander said investigations revealed that the suspect, who hailed from Adukrom in Eastern Region, was a police constable at Kpando in the Volta Region and was dismissed in 1981 on similar charges and in addition, imprisoned by a Kumasi Circuit Court. He said the victims, whose names have been withheld, were defrauded of various items including cylinders, gas stoves, bags of rice, crates of soft drinks, necklaces, wristwatches and money.

Police Chief Superintendent Tahonu said the suspect fled after defrauding the women until July 7 this year, when he returned to one of the victims and demanded to have sex with her.

He said the victim, who was fed up with the suspect, asked him (suspect) to return her cylinder and the money he collected from her or she would report the matter to the police.

The Municipal Police Commander said the suspect, who could not withstand the pressure from the victim pretended to have fallen unconscious, but that could not deter her from reporting the matter to the police.

He said the victim quickly hired a taxi and took the suspect to the police station instead of sending him to the hospital for treatment. The suspect admitted committing the offences at the police station.