An intelligence-led operation by the Ghana Police Service has resulted in the arrest of Fredrick Papa Kow-Assifuah, accused of impersonating a medical doctor and defrauding unsuspecting victims under the pretext of securing international travel opportunities for them.

0

The suspect was apprehended by personnel of the Police Intelligence Directorate (PID) Headquarters on Thursday, June 6, at Kasoa Crispo City, in the Central Region.

1

According to the Police in a post on Facebook, Frederick Papa Kow-Assifuah was dressed in a white lab coat, with a stethoscope around his neck, at the time of his arrest.

2

He had also arranged to meet another potential victim he had lured online, the police added.

3

A search conducted at the premises by the police led to the retrieval of a number of medical items in his possession, including 2 stethoscopes, 3 intravenous (IV) drips, 5 syringes, 2 sample bottles, one roll of plaster, 6 bottles of vaccines, a Ghanaian passport and cash amounting to GH¢8,500.00.

4

During interrogation, Fredrick Papa is said to have admitted to impersonating a doctor at the United Brain Hospital at Mallam, a suburb of Accra.

5

He also confessed to using his fake identity to engage women online, initiating intimate relationships with them and convincing them to part with money for fake travel arrangements to Europe.

6

Fredrick Papa is currently in police custody, assisting investigation and will be put before the court, the Service revealed.

7

The Criminal and other Offences Act of Ghana, 1960 (Act 29) views defrauding by false pretence as a crime.

8

A person defrauds by false pretences if, by means of a false pretence, or by impersonation, that person obtains the consent of another person to part with or transfer the ownership of a thing.

9

As stated in Section 131 of the Act, "A person who defrauds any other person by a false pretence commits a second degree felony."

10

Also, "a person who, by means of a false pretence or by personation obtains or attempts to obtain the consent of another person to part with or transfer the ownership of a thing by a false representation of acting in accordance with the instructions, orders or a request of the President or member of the Cabinet, commits a second degree felony under subsection (1) and is liable to a term of imprisonment of not less than ten years and not more than twenty-five years despite section 296 of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30)."

11

Prior to the recent arrest, the Police announced that they had arrested two suspects for possession of 11 large compressed sacks of a substance suspected to be narcotics at Ayi Mensah in the Greater Accra Region.

12

The suspects, Mathew Narkotey and Augustine Teye, were arrested by a team from the National Operations Department (NOD) on 7th June during routine patrols.

13

The suspects were onboard a Mazda pick-up truck with registration number GT 3490-P when a search uncovered the suspected narcotic substance concealed in the vehicle.

14

The vehicle and the suspected substances have been impounded and are currently secured at the Joint Operations Centre for evidential purposes.

15

Both suspects are in police custody assisting with investigations, while efforts are underway to arrest one Martey, named by the suspects as the intended recipient of the consignment.

16