Fire Officer jailed 10 years for fraud

A station officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) who defrauded 15 people of GH¢13,615 on the pretext of recruiting them into the service was yesterday sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour by the Accra Circuit Court.

The convict, Kennedy Kwaku Kpeh, pleaded guilty to three counts of defrauding by false pretences and guilty with explanation to another 12 counts of defrauding by false pretences.

However, after listening to his explanation, the court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, held that his explanation amounted to an admission of guilt and accordingly convicted him.

Kpeh, who had served 22 years in the service and is a former drill instructor at the GNFS Training School, pleaded for leniency.

According to the facts of the case, all the complainants were unemployed and residents of Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region.

In 2010, Kpeh sent information to one of his colleagues then stationed at the Suhum Fire Station but now deceased that he was now in the office of the Chief Fire Officer and had been tasked to recruit people on protocol basis into the GNFS.

The information reached a carpenter at Wenchi who went on to inform other members of his church and gave Kpeh’s contact number to them.

The complainants then got in touch with Kpeh who confirmed the recruitment to them after which they paid various amounts ranging between GH¢800 and GH¢1,000, which were paid into an account at the Kaneshie branch of the Agricultural Development Bank belonging to Kpeh.

Nine of the complainants paid GH¢6,215 while the rest of them also paid a total of GH¢7,400 but the convict after collecting the monies started giving excuses for his inability to execute the deal.

The complainants then became suspicious and reported the matter to the GNFS Headquarters whereupon Kpeh was arrested and handed over to the police.

Source: Daily Graphic