A man who used the name of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party and Alan Kyerematen a leading member of the party, to defraud a number of people was on Saturday arrested by the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at Tantra Hill, a suburb of Accra.

Osei Owusu Ansah, also known as Sekyere Sarkodie, 33, was arrested upon a tip off, using a Toyota Land Cruiser without valid documents. On the vehicle were pasted stickers of the State Protocol and the Ghana Ghana Medical Association.

Briefing journalists in Accra yesterday on the arrest, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Ebenezer Nketiah of the Commercial Crime Unit said the suspect is currently in custody assisting the police in investigations.

Two other people believed to be his accomplices identified by the police as Frank Boateng and Michel are on the run.

Mr Nketsiah said the three defrauded a businesswoman at Tema of GH¢41,800 last Thursday under the pretext of getting her to supply generators for free distribution to people in Bolgatanga at the request of Nana Akufo Addo and Mr Kyerematen.

The three are also alleged to have used a similar method to defraud two officials of the Produce Buying Company (PBC) at Mim in the Brong-Ahafo Region, last February.

According to the police, Ansah first introduced himself to the businesswoman at Tema as an executive of the NPP, who had been contacted by Nana Akufo Addo to procure 20 pieces of generators for distribution in Bolgatanga.

Mr Nketiah said Ansah who claimed to be a dealer in generators himself, convinced the women to accept the deal to supply the generators because she could make huge profit. He directed her to a store where she could purchase them.

Unknown to the woman, the store which Ansah directed her to buy the generators from belonged to him.

At the shop she paid GH¢41,800 to for the 20 generators. Ansah however failed to turn up to buy the generators.

Later when the woman called to find out when Ansah was coming to collect the generators, she was told that Ansah had been involved in a motor accident and was on admission at the Kintampo government hospital.

It however turned out that all three of them had gone into hiding and all efforts by the police to trace them proved futile until August 30, when the police had a tip-off that Ansah was hiding at Tantra Hills.

In the other case, Mr Nketsiah said, the suspects made the Manager and Secretary of the Produce Buying Company, Raphal Kojo Arhin and Akwesi Owusu to pay GH¢64,550 ostensibly for the supply of 75 generators and seven chain saws.

After the two officials paid for the items, Ansah and his accomplices vanished.


Source: Times