Con girl is conned ?30 million

A 'former' female student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has been arraigned before a Kumasi circuit tribunal charged with defrauding by false pretences.

Linda Osei, unemployed, is alleged to have collected ?60 million from a friend under the pretext of securing admission for her to the university. However, she is reported to have failed to honour her part of the contract with Ophelia Okyere Darko, the prospective student. She pleaded not guilty and is to reappear on 6 June. She was granted bail in the sun of ?70 million, with one surety.

The tribunal, chaired by Mr Ernest Yao Obimpeh, ordered that the surety must be a person of substance. Linda's alleged bid to bolt from the country to The Netherlands to escape arrest was given a jolt when a "visa contractor" to whom she allegedly paid ?30 million to facilitate her trip also disappeared with the money. He has since not been seen.

Consequently, Linda, allegedly vanished from Kumasi when it became obvious to her that she could neither guarantee Ophelia's admission to the university nor refund the money to her.

The facts of the case as presented by the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Regina Kesewah, are that Ophelia, the complainant, whose father is domiciled in Europe, is unemployed and lives at Ohwimase, a suburb of Kumasi. She said Linda is a former student of KNUST and also unemployed.

Chief Inspector Kesewah said somewhere in September, last year, Ophelia who was so eager to pursue further studies at the university, met Linda at the Goldlink Business Centre at Adum. According to the prosecutor, they engaged in conversation and Ophelia told Linda about her educational plans.

"Linda promised them that she could secure admission for the complainant at the KNUST. The two became friends and Ophelia showed the accused her residence," Chief Inspector Kesewah said. The prosecutor said Linda started demanding money from Ophelia with the explanation that she had started making the necessary 'connections' at the KNUST and, therefore, needed money to bribe her way through.

Chief Inspector Kesewah said Linda sometimes called Ophelia and gave the phone to a man, ostensibly an official of KNUST, who would assure her that Linda was in the process of securing the admission for her. "Everything would be all right" was the assurance the man gave anytime they spoke," Inspector Kesewah told the tribunal.

According to the prosecutor, within a six month period, Linda managed to collect ?60 million from Ophelia. She said when Ophelia later realised that Linda could not help her and therefore wanted to seek a refund, Linda was reported to have left Kumasi and living in Accra.

The prosecutor said on 18 April Ophelia lodged a complaint with the police in Kumasi and thereafter traced Linda to her hideout in Accra and had her arrested.

Chief inspector Kesewah said Linda admitted the offence and stated that she gave ?30 million out of the amount to a "visa contractor" to enable him to facilitate her escape to the Netherlands but the unidentified man bolted with money. "Linda however said the amount involved was ?58 million and not ?60 million."

Counsel for the accused, Mr J.K. Manu, denied claims that his client is a former student of the KNUST. "She has never been a student of that university as is being alleged," he said. Mr Manu also denied that Linda confessed to committing the crime. "It was the complainant who invited my client to Accra and solicited spiritual help of some pastors to enable her retrieve the money she claims to have given to my client.

"The pastors together with the complainant, tortured my client and it was under those circumstances that my client gave a forced statement and not a confession as the prosecution is alleging," the lawyer said.