An Accra Circuit Court has granted a GH₵50,000.00 bail each to two persons who allegedly defrauded 35 persons of GH₵350,000.00 under the pretext of securing them jobs at Ghana COCOBOD. 

Douglas Ofosu, student, and Wilfred Kwaku Boateng, a businessman, have been ordered by the court presided over by Mrs Kizita Naa Kowah Quarshie, to get two common sureties. 

They have denied conspiring to defraud Mr Twumasi Asare and 34 others. 

Ofosu and Boateng will make their next appearance on February 13, 2023. 

Meanwhile, their alleged accomplices: Sakyi, Mensah, Emmanuel and Bismark Odame are on the run. 

Chief Inspector Isaac Anquandah told the court that the complainants in this case, are unemployed. 

He said Ofosu and his alleged accomplices represented themselves as staff of COCOBOD and told the victims that there were a lot of vacancies in the institution. 

The accused persons, the court heard, between November and December 2022, took advantage of the complainants and collected GH₵350,000.00 under the pretext of securing them jobs at COCOBOD.  

The prosecution said after the accused persons received the GH₵350,000.00 from the complainants, they failed to honour their promise, hence, the complainants filed a petition with the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), whereupon Ofosu was arrested.   

Chief Inspector Anquandah said in Ofosu's cautioned statement, he voluntarily admitted having received about GH₵100,000.00 from Boateng.   

He said Odame, now at large, represented himself as Dr Mensah, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, and received money from the job seekers.  

Prosecution said Ofosu bought MTN mobile money merchant sim card from a friend at GH₵600.00 and used the same to receive the fraudulent money, adding that the money was shared by the accused persons.  

Chief Inspector Anquandah said on January 04, 2023, Boateng also reported with his Lawyer at the NIB where he was arrested and in his caution statement, he admitted having known Ofosu and asked him to purchase MTN mobile money sim card which he used to receive funds on behalf of Odame.  

He said efforts were underway to arrest the rest of the accused persons.