Policeman arrested for $1m fraud

The Adenta Police have arrested a policeman and two others for defrauding a Ghanaian businessman of $1,000,000.

Lance Corporal Seth Dzamasi, 34, who perpetrates his fraudulent activities with the pseudo names, John Boadu or Seth Terpkeh, was attached to the Striking Force Unit of the Ghana Police Service.

He was arrested with two suspected accomplices, Amankwa Osei Tutu aka Wilberforce Nimako, 27, and Jeffrey Kofi Boakye aka George Kwabena Menta or George Yeboah, 27.

Three other accomplices, who were mentioned by the suspects but currently at large, are Nana Mensah, John Amoah and one Asante.

Efforts are being made by the police to apprehend the runaway suspects.

The policeman used part of the money to buy himself a brand new Range Rover.

Briefing the journalists yesterday, DSP Stephen Ahiatafu, Adenta District Police Commander, said the suspects were arrested on Thursday October 24, 2013 at La Palm Royal Hotel, where they attempted to defraud another businessman.

The victim in the case is a Ghanaian businessman domiciled in Florida, United States of America.

According to the victim, he saw the suspects’ webpage on the internet with the name Two Sons Investment Limited, dealers in gold, and therefore, contacted them for the supply of raw gold.

In May, 2013, the victim travelled from Florida to Ghana to meet the directors of the advertised company for a business proposal on behalf of his company, Kimbeley Investment, based in Florida.

On his arrival in Ghana, the victim met John Amoah, now at large, who also introduced Wilberforce Nimako, whose original name is Amankwa Osei Tutu, to him as the gold dealer and also owner of the company.

Suspect Wilberforce Nimako then took the victim to a Hotel at Adenta near Pantang Hospital where Lance Corporal Seth Dzamasi and Jeffrey Kofi Boakye were waiting for them. On reaching there, he introduced them as director and secretary of his company, respectively.

The victim then came into an agreement with the suspects that their company would supply him (victim) 100 kilograms of raw gold valued at $1,000,000 at a cost of $32,000 dollars per kilogram.

The suspects also assured the victim that they would help in the shipment of the gold to his company in Florida, United States.

The suspects later took the victim to Nsawam, where they claimed their company was located, to survey the gold bars they had in stock.

The victim, who was impressed upon seeing and testing the gold, consequently requested that samples be given to him at a different cost to show to his partners in Florida on his return.

When the victim returned to the United States, as part of the agreement, he sent money to the suspects through the account of Wilberforce as part payment for the supply of the 100 kilograms of gold including the shipment fee for the consignment.

After waiting for some months without receiving the consignment, the victim again travelled to Ghana to find out what was amiss. But the suspects told him that their brother by name John Boadu had placed an injunction on the consignment because he was not informed about the whole transaction.

The suspects then opened and showed the victim some gold bars locked in a box as being the consignment ready to be exported and demanded an additional $500,000 from him to be used in pacifying John to lift the injunction.

The victim, however, sent the money to the suspects before the container containing the gold was later dispatched to him.

When he finally opened the box on arrival at the Amsterdam Port, it was detected that the container only contained an iron substance and not gold.

A case was lodged with the police by the suspect at Amsterdam and Ghana respectively.

Ghana Police mounted surveillance on the suspects and grabbed them at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, where they had attempted to defraud another victim.

The new Range Rover belonging to Lance Corporal Seth Dzamasi was also seized by the police.

Upon interrogation, the suspects admitted to the act and mentioned the names of the three others, who are now at large, to the police.

The suspects are now in police custody assisting in investigations.