Cocobod Chief clone nabbed for fraud

The Cyber Crime Unit of the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has apprehended two paddies who have allegedly created a Facebook page using the name of Dr Stephen Opuni, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocobod, to defraud victims seeking employment at the Cocobod.

The two suspects, identified as Latif Apolala aka Davido, 30 years old and Christina Obeng aka Borga, 29, were apprehended at Achimota Mile 7 while in the process of collecting an amount of GH¢3,500 from one of their victims, according to the police.

So far, over 200 victims were said to have contacted the suspects for employment but the police were yet to uncover the number of persons who had been defrauded.

Briefing the media, COP Prosper Kwame Agblor, Director-General in-charge of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), said on Friday, February 26, 2016, police received information from an informant that he had seen a Facebook profile of Dr Stephen K Opuni, which he suspected to be fraudulent.

The information indicated that the suspected fraudster had impersonated Dr Opuni and was in the process of defrauding unsuspecting people under the pretext of helping them secure a job at Ghana Cocoa Board.

The police immediately contacted Dr Opuni who also confirmed the report and stated that he had never had a facebook account.

The informant, who is a witness in the case, said he engaged the supposed fraudster in a conversation and he assured him (informant) of securing him a job at Cocobod, which would attract a fee of GH¢4,000.

The witness narrated that the fraudster charged GH¢4,000 for degree holders while HND holders pay an amount of GH¢3,500.

. After bargaining and agreeing to an amount of GH¢3,500, the fraudster directed the informant to meet his messenger at Achimota Mile 7 to deliver his application letter, curriculum vitae (CV) and the agreed amount to facilitate the employment.

Suspect Latif Apolala appeared with intent to collect the money and the application letter and when he was about collecting the money from the informant, he was immediately apprehended.

Upon interrogation, Latif told the police that suspect Christian Obeng, being the man allegedly using Dr Opuni’s name to defraud the victims, only sent him to collect something from someone.

Christian Obeng was apprehended at Kasoa where he was said to be hiding.

In his caution statement, Christian Obeng admitted having created the Facebook account in the name of Stephen K. Opuni and with an email address: (stephenopuni43@gmail.com) to facilitate his plans.

The two have provisionally been charged for conspiracy to commit crime to wit, defrauding by false pretences.