24-year-old ‘evangelist’ jailed for fraud

Nana Kwame Asare Junior, 24, has been sentenced to twenty-one months imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to four counts of defrauding by false pretenses at a Cape Coast Magistrate court.

Asare Junior, a self-acclaimed Evangelist is said to have defrauded Madam Susana Dadzie,a nurse and Veronica Mensah, a hairdresser of GH¢2,500.00 and GH¢2,200.00 respectively, under the pretext of securing admission for their wards at Premier Nursing Training School in Takoradi and Cape Coast Nursing Training School, but failed to do so.

He also defrauded Madam Rita Johnson, and Lucy Brown, both traders of GH¢3,710.00 and GH¢1,710.00 respectively under the pretext of providing a store at the new Kotokuraba market, and also getting Lucy’s son to undergo a stress-free interview at the US Embassy.

Pleading guilty to the charges, Asare Junior, also a CCTV camera installer pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy and said he was ready to pay the monies to the complainants.

The Court presided over by Ms Rita Amoaniwaa Edusah sentenced him to three months imprisonment on the first count, eight months on the second and third counts, and 12 months on the fourth count.

The court further ordered Asare Junior to pay all the monies before Friday May 11,2018.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector C. Hevi, told the court that Susana Dadzie in 2014 wanted admission into a nursing training school and Asare offered to help her get admission at the Premier Nursing Training School in Takoradi.

He said Asare collected GH¢2,500.00 from Susana under the pretext of going to pay her fees and went into hiding.

He said all efforts to trace him proved futile until he was spotted at the Bakaano Police cells in Cape Coast after his involvement in a similar case.

Chief Inspector Hevi said in 2015, Asare requested Veronica Mensah to pay an amount of GH¢2,200.00, and that he could secure admission for her daughter at the Cape Coast Nursing Training School.

He said after collecting the said amount, Asare went into hiding and all efforts to trace him also proved futile until arrest.

Prosecution again told the court that Rita Johnson and Lucy Brown used to visit Asare for spiritual help and prayers.

He said during the Month of November, Rita told Asare that she wanted a store at the newly constructed Kotokuraba market.

Asare offered to help her secure one and collected an amount of GH¢3,710.00 from Rita and went into hiding.

In the same month, Prosecution said Lucy’s son attended an interview at the US Embassy in Accra but was disqualified.

He said Asare upon hearing the news offered to help Lucy’s son and collected an amount of GH¢1,710.00 from her under the pretext of securing another interview for her son to travel outside the country.

Asare again went into hiding and refused to pick Lucy’s calls. Lucy then lodged a complaint with the Police which led to Asare’s arrest in his hideout at Atabandze.