Two individuals, accused of impersonating Member of Parliament (MP) Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, have been granted GHc100,000 bail after pleading not guilty to six counts of allegedly defrauding unsuspecting Ghanaians.

Promise Ahorgah, a phone repairer, and Kwaotse Mawuli, a building construction laborer, are accused of creating social media accounts in the MP's name to solicit funds for victims affected by the Akosombo and Kpong Dam Spillage.

In court on February 14, 2024, the accused, represented by lawyer Simon Animley, requested bail, which was opposed by Assistant State Attorney Derek Ackah Nyamekye. Despite the opposition, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo granted bail in the sum of GHc50,000 each with a surety, to be justified.

As part of their bail conditions, the accused must report to the case investigator every Friday in two weeks, and both the accused and their sureties are required to deposit their Ghana Cards with the court registry.

The individuals were arrested on December 13 and were remanded into the custody of the National Signals Bureau during further investigation.

The charges include two counts each of defrauding by false pretenses, charlatanic advertisement, and falsely pretending to be a public officer.

“Holding themselves out as the complainant and causing the general public to wrongly believe they were the complainant, the 1st and 2nd accused persons published the fake and deceitful flyers on social media platforms requesting the general public to make cash donations into their mobile phone numbers 0535623416 and 0535364971 respectively, which each of the accused persons had stated on the fake and deceitful flyers,” the Prosecution.

“Through their acts of personation and publication of deceitful advertisement with the intent to defraud, the 1s and 2nd accused persons succeeded in causing members of the public to send to them sums of money,” the Court was told.

According to the prosecution, the accused modified the complainant's flyer on Facebook, inserting their phone numbers and posing as the MP to deceive the public into making cash donations.

The accused admitted to the offenses during interrogation, and the investigation is ongoing.

“Both 1st and 2nd accused persons admitted to the offences when interrogated. Investigation is still ongoing,” the Prosecution said.