Self-styled Pathologist remanded for defrauding

A Traditional Birth Attendant who allegedly posed as a Senior Pathologist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to defraud a trader under the pretext of securing admission for his children into the Korle Bu Nursing Training School, was on Wednesday remanded into prison custody by a Cape Coast Circuit court.

Selina Mensah, 42, pleaded not guilty to defrauding by false pretences, and will be re-arraigned on Monday, July 8.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Andam Okyere, who prosecuted, told the court presided over Mr. Kofi Seshie Ametewee that the complainant, Mr. John Donkor, is a trader resident at Mankessim, while Mensah, a traditional birth attendant, is from Effiekuma in the Western Region.

He said the two met in 2012, when Selina, dressed as a nurse, went to Mr. Donkor’s shop at Mankessim to purchase a cassette during which a conversation concerning nursing training admission ensued between them.

Mensah assured Mr. Donkor of her ability to secure admission for his two children into the Nursing Training School in Accra in her capacity as a Senior Pathologist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

According to ASP Okyere, Mr. Donkor, desperate to secure admission for his children, paid Ghc8,300 as requested by Mensah to cover his children’s accommodation and tuition fee, as well as a token to be given to the hospital authorities before they could be admitted.

Mensah failed to fulfill her part of the deal, and when Mr. Donkor's requested for a refund of his money failed, he lodged a complaint with the police on January 26 this year, leading to Mensah’s arrest on Thursday June 19.

In another development, Mensah together with a driver, Kofi Sackey, a 46-year-old resident of Mankessim were arraigned before the same court for allegedly defrauding a driver of Ghc9,700 under the pretext of selling an Urvan bus to him.

Her plea was not taken, and was remanded into prison custody to be re-arraigned before the court on June 19, while Sackey failed to appear before the court.

According to ASP Okyere, Mensah and Sackey once lived together at Mankessim as a couple, while the complainant Mr. Stephen Assafuah is a close friend of Sackey.

He said Sackey convinced Mr. Assafuah that Mensah had a friend who is a nurse at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra who receives vehicles from her brother abroad, and sells them at affordable prices, and that she can help him get one on a convenient term of payment.

Mr. Assafuah initially paid Ghc5,000 to Mensah in the presence of Sackey after which Mr. Assafuah received a phone call from someone, who identified herself as Felicia Quainoo, a Senior Nurse at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, confirming receipt of the money he paid to Mensah and assured him of delivery of the car within a month.

According to ASP Okyere, the said Felicia later contacted Mr. Assafuah on phone that the vehicle had arrived in the country and further demanded various sums of money for which Mr. Assafuah paid into a bank account provided by Felicia even though he had never seen her.

Mr. Assafuah paid a total of Ghc4,700 into that account, in addition to the 5,000 Ghana Cedis paid to Mensah and the delay in the delivery of the car made t Mr. Assafuah suspicious of the transaction and requested for a refund of his money.

Mr. Assafuah reported the case to the Mankessim Police and the accused persons were arrested, but Mensah failed to identify the said Felicia for investigations.

Sackey was granted police enquiry bail to appear before court but he failed to appear.