Fraudster jailed for duping Pastor of 65 million cedis

Aflao, June 28, GNA - A 35-year-old unemployed man, described by the Police as a fraudster, was jailed six years on Wednesday for duping a pastor 65 million cedis.

Bismark Aklamanu, who tried to avoid arrest by using aliases such as Kofi Atakpa, Albert Gbemu and his real name, Prince Charles Exah, appeared before a circuit court at Aflao on Wednesday. Aklamanu pleaded not guilty to a charge of fraud.

Prosecuting, police Inspector Mr Abraham Tetteh told the court presided over by Group Captain Martin Obeng-Nitm (Rtd) that, one Pastor Mawuli Azago of the Liberation Ministry at Aflao in September last year, paid a visit to Mafi-Kumasi in the Volta Region, his home town, where he met the accused. He was introduced to him as an in-law, having married his sister.

He said later in the year, the accused visited Pastor Azago at Aflao, and told the Pastor that he (accused) had worked as a Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) operative in the past.

Mr Tetteh said the accused convinced the Pastor that he had a BMW car for sale and was given 30 million cedis to deliver it. He said Aklamanu failed to deliver the car, claiming the Akatsi Police had impounded it. He then collected another 35 million cedis from the Pastor to enable him to facilitate the release of the car. Mr Tetteh said the accused, who confessed to the crime in a caution statement, explained that he needed the money to travel abroad, vacated the Pastor's house and went into hiding until he was arrested at the Aflao border early this year.