Court grants bail to four people for alleged fraud

Four people including a police officer, who allegedly collected about GH¢250,000 from 150 young men and women under the pretext of enlisting them into the Ghana Police Service, on Wednesday appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.

The accused are Police Inspector Senyo Ameyaw, a Laboratory Technician at Police Hospital, Silvanus Kumah, a businessman, Faustina Kumah and Daniel Danso, both civilian employees at Police Headquarters.

They pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretences.

The court presided over by Mrs Patience Mills Tetteh, admitted each of them to GH¢10,000 bail with three sureties to be justified, and to report to the Police daily.

The case was adjourned to July 4.

Police Chief Inspector A.A. Annor prayed the court not to grant bail to the accused because investigations on the matter were on-going and they might temper with evidence.

The prosecution said the Police needed time to conduct further inquiry into each of the 100 alleged recruits, take their statements and assign the roles played by each of the accused persons in the matter.

Mr. Paul Owusu, Counsel for Kumah, however said the prosecution was unduly using investigations on the matter to detain the accused.

Counsel said the Police should not use the issue of bail to punish the accused and prayed that they be admitted to bail.

Mr. George Asumaning, Counsel for Faustina, said the police had not given any cogent reasons to the court why the accused should be refused bail.

He said the the statement presented to the court by the police did not state the role played by his client in the matter, and questioned how a labourer at the Police Headquarters could influence Police investigations.

Mr. Asumaning said since the accused were arrested over the week-end, the police had had ample time to investigate the matter, and prayed the court that the accused be admitted to bail.

The accused recruited about 150 young men and women under the pretext of enlisting them into the Ghana Police Service, and collected various sums of monies ranging between GH¢2,000 and GH¢3,000 totaling about GH¢250,000.

The young men and women were made to report at the Police Hospital at 0200 hours for medical examination, and on Saturday, June 16, they were to report to Insp. Senyo at the laboratory.

The Police Administration had information of the fraudulent activities of the accused, and a team from Panthers Unit went to the Police Hospital and arrested the accused and the victims.

When a search was conducted on the accused, the police found various enlistment related documents and GH¢81,250.**