Court discharges military officer accused of GH¢136,000 recruitment scam

A senior military officer, who was hauled before the Accra Circuit Court over alleged GH¢136,000 recruitment scam, has been discharged for lack of evidence against him.

The court also revoked any restrictions or ban on him by the Ghana Armed Forces or any other institution.

The court ordered that “any restrictions/ ban on second accused person (Captain Abel Nartey) as a result of this case by Ghana Armed Forces or any other institution be revoked forthwith.”

Capt Nartey was put before the court together with Clement Ayomah on charges of con­spiracy and defrauding by false pretences.

Capt Nartey earlier appeared before the court on a bench war­rant, but it rescinded the warrant and admitted him to self-recogni­sance bail.

On July 24, 2024, when Capt Narey made an appearance, Chief Inspector Wisdom Alorwu, prosecuting, drew the court’s attention to the fact that at the last sitting, the police prayed for a date to complete investigations.

“Now we are done with inves­tigations and have amended our charge sheet. We have been able to establish through our investi­gations that the second accused person (Captain Nartey) was not involved in the enlistment scam, but only the first accused person (Ayomah).”

According to the prosecution, Ayomah worked under Capt­Nartey as an instructor at the education unit and he (Ayomah) “only used Capt Nartey’s name to collect money from people.”

“We pray to withdraw the earlier charge sheet dated July 3, 2024, and substitute same with one filed on July 24, 2024. We pray that the second accused person (Captain Nartey) be discharged for lack of evidence against him,” Chief Insp Alorwu­told the court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah.

The court said, “Second accused person (Captain Nar­tey) is hereby discharged on the submissions made by the prosecution. The court states that any restrictions/ban on second accused person as a result of this case by Ghana Armed Forces or any other institution be revoked forthwith.”

Clement Ayomah, a 36-year-old soldier, is standing trial for allegedly collecting GH¢136,000 from 22 persons under the pre­text of enlisting them into the Ghana Security Services.

Ayomah, who is being held on a charge of defrauding by false pretences, has pleaded not guilty and is on bail.

The matter has been ad­journed to August 8, 2024