Ghost names syndicate busted

Three persons have been arrested by the La Police in Accra in connection with ghost names scam, succeeding in robbing the government several millions of cedis.

The three, Gordon Wonder, 40; Christian Dzamade, 25 and Kofi Nudorku Tordzagbo, 35 were operating different accounts with different names by which they were paid salaries from government coffers through the Accountant General's Department.

The three, who have since been charged before an Accra Circuit Court, succeeded in receiving an amount of GH¢75,581.60 as salaries out of which they have so far cashed GH¢27,210.00.

Pay slips retrieved from the AG's department indicated salaries ranging from GH¢3000 and GH¢6000.

The court, presided over by Justice Jennifer Myres, remanded them into police custody to reappear on August 12, 2008.

Briefing the media, the La District Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Patrick Gyebi, said the first accused, Gordon and the second accused, Christian, on June 24, went to the Trade Fair Branch of Barclays Bank with a photo copy of their voter ID cards and a hand written letter purported to have been issued from the bank's headquarters, introducing the two as new employees of the Ghana Highway Authority.

The Manager, who became suspicious of the characters, asked them to provide the original copies of the IDs but the two did not return until June 30.

DSP Gyebi said the voter IDs, which were bearing the names Fiansah Gordon and Anderson Vanderpuye, were suspected to be fake.

The Manger therefore reported them to the police who arrested and detained them at the La police station.

When a search was conducted on them, five voter IDs including one original one belonging to Christian were retrieved.

The cards were bearing the names Everatus Ocansey, James Tampuri, Gordon Wonder and Christian Dzamade.

Three of the ID cards had pictures of Christian embossed on them whilst the other two had that of Gordon.

Also found on them were two blank cheques, one signed, bearing the names of Addison Aikins and Christian Dzamade. The two also had in their possession countless SSNIT forms filled with different names.

Three days after their arrest, Kofi Nudorku Tordzagbo, visited the station pressing for their bail. However upon interrogation, the police found out that he was not a student as he earlier said but an accountant with the Ghana Highway Authority.

The two, who had earlier mentioned Kofi as an accomplice, were called to identify him and was thrown into cells to join the two who happened to be his relatives.

Investigations at the Accountant General's Department indicated that Kofi, who said he was employed barely a year ago, has since March 2007, used his position as an accountant at the Highway Authority, to prepare new entrant forms and added the names of his relatives to the inputs, with forged signatures for preparing and authorizing officers which he forwarded directly to the AG without passing through the Sector Ministry (Ministry of Roads and Transport).

A check at the various banks, which were used, indicated that the accused persons operated 16 different accounts. Seven belong to first Accused, Gordon; Seven for the second Accused, Christian; one for the third accused, Kofi and the other was for Gershon Agbodzi, who is currently at large.