Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 20 December 2012

Source: GNA

Tema Police arrest two suspects for duping a businessman

The Tema Regional Police has arrested two persons for duping a businessman of an amount of GH¢10,000 with the pretence of investing the money in a forex bureau business on his behalf.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Maxwell Atingane, Tema Regional Police Commander told newsmen in Tema on Wednesday that the suspects, Abeiku Ansah, 52 and Iddrisu Bawa, 30 would be prosecuted immediately the Police had completed their investigations.

Narrating the circumstances leading to the arrest of the two suspects, DCOP Atingane said on October 28, Ansah told Mr Stephen Sam, the businessman and a casual friend of his that he has a business partner who engaged in the buying and selling of dollars in the form of forex bureau.

Ansah succeeded in convincing Mr Sam to part with GH¢10,000 as an initial investment in the business.

Mr Sam however became suspicious when soon after paying the GH¢10,000 Ansah told him to pay an additional GH¢15,000 to be used to buy a substance to wash fake dollars to look like genuine ones at a huge interest.

DCOP Atingane said though Mr Sam became suspicious, he feigned interest and alerted the Police.

He said on December 17, Mr Sam in the company of Detective Policemen invited Ansah to come for the GH¢15,000 Ghana at a drinking spot at Community ‘9’ in Tema.

DCOP Atingane said Ansah arrived at the spot with Bawa, the other suspect who were immediately arrested.

The Regional Police Commander said after their arrest Bawa confessed that he operated a fraudulent syndicate with one Mohammed who is now at large as their leader.

DCOP Atingane said Bawa said the initial GH¢10,000 paid by Mr Sam was given to Mohammed to print the fake dollars.

The Regional Police Commander said a search conducted by the Police of the resident of Bawa, unveiled five yellowish metal bags, five pieces of dollar currency notes in different denominations, a liquid substance, two UT Bank cheque books, Stanchart and Unibank cheque books.

The Regional Police Commander used the Christmas occasion to advise residents in the metropolis to be very cautious in their dealings with people with dubious characters.

He asked advised residents to report such characters immediately to the Police for the necessary action to be taken against them.