A trader, Isaac Anabila Azumah, who forged the signature of the Upper East regional minister, Hon. Salifu Mahami, and further duped a contractor to the tune of ?19.8 million with the promise of securing for him a ?27 billion contract, has been arraigned before an Accra community tribunal.

The accused person, whose plea was not taken by the tribunal, has been charged with forgery, defrauding and acting with the pretence of awarding to the contractor a contract from the regional coordinating tender board.

The tribunal, presided over by His Lordship Kwadwo Owusu, has therefore remanded the accused person in police custody to reappear on the October 27.

Prosecuting the case, Inspector Alice Yeboah told the tribunal that the accused visited his cousin, one Isaac Amoah, in the Greater Accra region and introduced himself as a cement dealer who could assist anyone to be awarded contract at Bolgatanga with help from the Vice President's office.

The cousin, who got delighted by what the accused had told him, informed his friend, Oppong Nimako, who later introduced the accused to the complainant, Stephen Nyamekye.

Inspector Yeboah said the accused further demanded documents of his victim and drafted an application for typing and onward submission to the chairman of the Upper East regional coordinating council who is the minister.

A month later, the accused returned with the letter purported to have been written by the chairman of the council, bearing a forged signature of the regional minister, the prosecutor told the court.

At that juncture, the accused person succeeded in collecting an amount of ?4.3 million from the contractor supposedly to influence the staff of the regional administration.

Thereafter, according to Inspector Yeboah, the accused, handed over a forged letter purported to have come from the regional minister bearing his signature for awarding a project contract worth ?27billion.

Azumah, after taking a commitment fee of ?15 million and another sum of ?500,000 from the contractor, went to Kumasi, in the Ashanti region, where he lodged at the Danyase Riverside Hotel.

The prosecutor said the complainant, sensing fraud, traced the accused through a telephone number he had provided but to no avail. With the assistance of the police striking force in Kumasi, Nyamekye got the accused arrested and an amount of ?10 million, a new sewing machine, two new "ecolac" bags and a wireless set were retrieved from him.

The accused was then escorted to the Nungua police station. In the course of investigation, according to the prosecutor, the accused mentioned the name of somebody to be his accomplice at the Upper East regional administration but which later proved to be false.

Subsequently, the Upper East regional minister was contacted and after a thorough examination, it was found out that the letters, rubber stamps and his signature were forged.