Man, 62, dupes Pastor

A 62-year-old refrigerator technician who allegedly defrauded a pastor to the tune of GH¢38,000 under the pretext of selling him a car, has been arrested by the police.

The suspect, Benjamin Amissah aka Uncle Ben, purportedly posted a picture of the vehicle on OLX (an electronic market) looking for buyers and when the pastor (name withheld) contacted him, he reportedly took the money from him and bolted.

Police investigations led to his arrest on Saturday, October 8, 2016 at Amasaman in the Ga West municipality of the Greater Accra Region.

His alleged accomplice, identified as Asamoah, is currently at large and is being hunted by the police.

In an interview with DAILY GUIDE, COP Prosper Kwame Agblor, Director General in-charge of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, said the syndicate, led by Benjamin Amissah, advertised an unregistered Toyota Rav 4 vehicle on OLX without the knowledge of the car owner.

He said the victim, who showed interest in buying the vehicle, immediately called the number posted by Amissah to bargain the price.

According to the police officer, Amissah and the pastor agreed to meet at Abeka Lapaz to inspect the vehicle and for payment to be made.

COP Agblor indicated that on September 24, 2016, the victim, in the company of his mechanic, met Amissah at Abeka Lapaz where the negotiation was made.

He said after settling on GH¢38,000, the suspect asked his accomplice, Asamoah, to take the mechanic and the pastor to the garage where the vehicle was parked for inspection.

Together with the pastor and his mechanic, Asamoah took the vehicle for a test drive on the NI Highway but returned it.

He (Asamoah) then asked the victim if he was satisfied with the performance of the vehicle; and when he answered in the affirmative, Asamoah took him back to Amissah for payment to be made.

After payment, the police officer said, the two suspects gave the pastor a receipt and Asamoah pretended bringing him to the garage for collection of the vehicle, but managed to run away on a motorbike.

When the pastor went to the garage where the vehicle was, the owner told him that Asamoah had informed him earlier that his uncle had expressed interest in the vehicle and that he (Asamoah) would bring him and a mechanic to inspect it.

The garage owner said after inspection, Asamoah approached him and said they (he and his purported uncle) were going to the bank to withdraw the money and would be back but that was all.

Benjamin Amissah was apprehended by the police at Amasaman upon a tipoff.