Accra, July 2, GNA - A Nigerian, who posed as the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Paul T Quaye by presenting a forged Identity Card (ID)and a biometric page of a passport of the IGP, in order to defraud a Swedish, on Friday appeared before a Circuit Court in Accra. Akapojotor Collins, 23, was in the dock with his accomplice Onos Igbudu, 25, also a Nigerian, both unemployed.

They pleaded not guilty to four counts of conspiracy, forgery of official documents and the court presided over by Mr D.E.K Daketse remanded them into Police custody to reappear on July 16. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) A.A Annor said the complainant was Swedish based in Sweden while the accused persons reside at Nungua, in Accra.

ASP Annor said investigations revealed that accused persons are into internet fraud, and defraud people especially foreigners. In June this year, the accused persons sent an e-mail message to the complainant, posing as the current IGP of Ghana, and a Senior Police officer respectively.

In one of their e-mails, accused persons claimed that under their supervision, they have arrested five men at the Kotoka international Airport trying to illegally export a box containing five million dollars and a 50 kg of gold and that after investigating the matter, they found out that the gold and money belonged to the complainant. ASP Annor said the accused advised the complainant to pay some unspecified amount to them so that they could reward the arresting Police officers in Ghana and release or ship the consignment from Ghana to Sweden. The prosecution said the complainant, suspecting foul play asked them to send a copy of their ID and passport to show that he was dealing with the IGP and a Senior Police officer. The accused persons sent copies of forged Police ID card number GPS 2216 H and biometric data page of passport number H1527864 all bearing the pictures of the IGP.

The complainant informed his friend who is a retired Police officer, who had been in Ghana about his ordeal and the Ghana Police Service was alerted. Accused persons were lured and arrested at Osu in a waiting Toyota Corolla, which had been impounded by the Police because they failed to produce documents on the car.