Two hide solicited money for child’s surgery

A woman who raised GHc3,420 through begging to seek medical treatment for her child who drank acid has been defrauded by her benefactors.

Nicodemus Jewel Ackah, 42, who claimed to be an evangelist and Joseph Osei-Kwadwo, 22, an accomplice, assisted Madam Adwoa Nyarko to raise GHC5, 000 needed to perform the surgery on the child but the former deposited it in his personal account.

Ackah and Osei-Kwadwo have been arrested and placed in custody pending investigations and prosecution.

The Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, told the GNA in Sekondi on Monday that the suspects took Madam Nyarko, 40, and her three children to the Takoradi Market Circle and used them as bait to solicit money from the public.

She said Ackah told donors that Madam Nyarko’s three-year old son, Meshach Ampedu, needed money urgently to perform surgery at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi after drinking acid.

However, Ackah clandestinely collected the money and deposited it into his personal bank account at the Takoradi Market Circle branch of Stanbic Bank.

ASP Adiku said one Mr Frederick Ainoo informed the police about the fraudulent activities of the suspects and were arrested by the Takoradi Central Police for fraud on December 27.

She said when Ackah was arrested he claimed one presenter from Metro FM in Kumasi asked him to assist Madam Nyarko to raise GHc5,000, to enable her son, Meshach, to perform surgery.