Fake health professional gets 5 years sentence

An Accra Circuit Court, on Tuesday sentenced in absentia, one Collins Avorgbedor a 39-year-old, unemployed, to five years imprisonment in hard labor for defrauding four persons under the pretence of being a health professional.

Collins defrauded the victims when he pretended to be a health professional with connexions by taking various amounts of monies from them, to among others treat their medical conditions and securing them visas.

He was arrested and put before the court, presided over by Madam Malike Awo Dey, where he pleaded not guilty and was on bail and whiles trial was ongoing he jumped bail.

The court however proceeded with the trial as prescribed by law and found Collins guilty of the offence and therefore convicted him.

The Prosecution led by Police Chief Inspector Isaac Agbemehia, told the court that the complainants are a National Service Person a footballer, an unemployed person and a teacher, all residing including the convict in Accra.

He said investigations revealed that, between 2015 and 2016, the convict assumed the name Dr Collins Mensah and portrayed himself to the complainants as a Medical Doctor at the Korle Teaching Hospital who could treat diseases among others.

The Prosecution said Collins also claimed he was a British citizen and could secure visa for people to travel to the United Kingdom or America.

Mr Agbemehia said based on these fraudulent representation, Collins collected an amount of GHc11,660.00 and a passport from one of the complainants, Mavis Senam Lewu, ostensibly to secure a US visa for her.

He also collected GHc 1,500.00 from another complainant Gyebi Stephen to secure a job for him at Tullow Oil, telling him that he had the influence to get him a job as a manager.

Collins again collected an amount of GHc3,900.00 from complainant Emmanuel Akwasi Asamoah to secure a UK visa for him and also took an amount of Ghc1,000.00 from another complainant Regina Demanya to provide her with fibroid medication, after he had diagnosed her of having fibroids.

The Prosecution said the convict however failed to secure the visas and the job, as well as the fibroid medication and went into hiding.

He said complainant, Mavis, who became suspicious about Collins’s disappearance reported the case to the police and he was tracked and arrested.

According to the Prosecution, investigations revealed that, Collins is neither a medical officer, nor a British citizen as he claimed.