A Mobile Money (MoMo) merchant, Mr. Richard Sie, who impersonated a public officer, has been sentenced by an Accra Circuit Court for his role in a case involving the unlawful release of an individual from police custody.

The impersonation involved Mr. Sie posing as the Oti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Charles Domanban, to order the release of his accomplice, Ismaila Issaka, from police custody after Issaka was found in possession of a significant quantity of Indian hemp and narcotic drugs.

Both Mr. Sie and Mr. Issaka pleaded guilty to their respective charges, with Sie facing charges of falsely pretending to be a public officer and Issaka charged with unlawful possession of narcotic drugs.

The court, presided over by Mrs. Afia Owusuaa Appiah, sentenced Issaka to a fine of 200 penalty units, equivalent to GH₵2,400.00, in default of which he would serve six months in prison with hard labor. As for Mr. Sie, he was sentenced to six months in prison with hard labor for his bold impersonation of a senior police officer.

The incident occurred when a police combat team conducted random searches on occupants of vehicles in the Teshie Bush Road area, leading to Issaka's arrest for the possession of Indian hemp. Upon his arrest, he contacted Mr. Sie, who impersonated the Oti Regional Police Commander in an attempt to secure Issaka's release. However, Sie was subsequently arrested for his impersonation.

The seized dried leaves, suspected to be Indian hemp, were sent to the Police Forensic Laboratory for examination, and the results confirmed that they contained cannabis with a gross weight of 24.66 grams.