Man-woman sex worker arrested

A male dressed like a female commercial sex worker, yesterday fooled everyone before he confessed to being a man.

Dressed in skirt and blouse, with a long blond wig, wearing a necklace, bracelets and artificial nails, the young man sported perfectly shaped eyebrows and lipstick, ready to do business on the streets, probably with gay clients. The "man-woman" was picked up by a potential client, Kwame Boateng, 29, a driver, who was apparently fooled into believing that his catch was a woman.

The two were arrested on Thursday at about 12.30 a.m. at Tantra Hill, near Achimota, by police/military personnel on patrol duties who found them in a mini bus parked in a dark alley, near the Divine Clinic.

The "man-woman" became jittery upon seeing the security personnel and when questioned, gave his name as Daniel Nana Kwaku Twum.

The Commander of the Police Striking Force Unit, DSP John Osei-Bonsu, who confirmed the incident to the Times yesterday, said the security personnel became suspicious when the supposed female mentioned a male name, and upon further interrogation, confessed to being a male.

Twum, who gave his age as 15 years, told the security personnel that he was a junior high school leaver and that he sometimes dressed like a woman to engage in commercial sex.

Boateng, on the other hand, said he had closed from work and was on his way to park the vehicle in his master’s house at Taifa, when the "young lady" stopped him and asked for a lift.

Mr Osei-Bonsu said the security personnel suspected that Boateng might have picked up Twum believing "she" was a commercial sex worker with whom he intended to spend the night.

DSP Bonsu said Twum is assisting the police in their investigations. They are working on the theory that Twum’s dressing is his way of either attracting gay clients or linking up with armed robbers to commit crime.

He said many robberies had been committed by men dressed like females. That way they are least suspected by their victims.

He therefore called on the public to be on the alert to spot such persons and not to hesitate to share their suspicion with the police.