Douglas Ofosu, a student of St. Francis College of Education, and Wilfred Kwaku Boateng, a businessman, have been accused of defrauding about 35 job seekers in the sum of GH¢350,000.00.

They have, therefore, been charged and brought before an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie, yesterday.

The duo have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit a crime and defrauding by false pretence.

The court has granted the accused persons bail in the sum of GH¢500,000 each, with two common sureties and adjourned the case to February 2, 2023.

This was after their counsel, Theophilus Donkor applied for bail on the grounds that they are not flight risk, and they have a fixed place of abode.

In the facts presented by the prosecuting officer Chief Inspector Isaac Anquandah, the accused persons gave an assurance to about 35 job seekers that if they are given the said money, they can secure them employment with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).

Since the complainants in the case are unemployed, they also fell to the scam.

According to him, the accused persons together with their accomplices – whilst the accused persons’ accomplices- Sakyi, Mensah, Emmanuel and Bismarck Dame (all at large) – misrepresented themselves as staff of COCOBOD and that there were a lot of vacancies in the institution. 

C/Ins Anquandah indicated that the accused persons between the months of November and December 2022, took advantage of the complainants and collected a total amount of GH¢350,000.00 under the pretext of securing them at jobs at COCOBOD. 

Regrettably, after the accused persons allegedly received the said amount from the complainants, they failed to honour their promise. 

“[The] complainants filed a petition with the National Intelligence Bureau and A1 (Douglas) was subsequently arrested. In the cautioned statement by Al, he voluntarily admitted having received about GH¢100,000.00 from A2 (Boateng). 

The court was informed that Bismarck Dame, on the run, misrepresented himself as the Deputy C.E.O. of COCOBOD, Dr. Mensah, and who received the huge sum of the money. 

The prosecutor said Douglas bought a MTN mobile money merchant sim card from a friend at the cost of GH¢600.00 and used the same to receive the fraud money, which was shared among the accused persons. 

He also narrated to the court that on January 4, 2023, Boakye reported with his Lawyer at the Bureau, and he was subsequently arrested.

The prosecutor added that  Boakye admitted in his cautioned statement of having known Doug and also asked him to purchase MTN mobile money merchant and uses ame to receive funds on behalf of A6. Effort is still underway to arrest.