Fake special assistant held over GH¢748,000 fraud

A 34-year-old man, who paraded himself as Special Assistant of the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Company and succeeded in duping two contractors of their cash of GH¢695,000.00 has been arrested by the police.

Michael Asante, popularly known as lawyer Asante, has taken the money under the pretext of securing them contracts to build oil storage tanks for the Tema Oil Refinery.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Juliana Obeng, the Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, told journalists in Kumasi, that he was picked up at Fumesua by a national security operative after the contractors brought the matter to his notice.

He had separately collected various sums of money ranging from GH¢5,000.00 to GH¢40,000.00 from other unsuspecting persons with the promise of getting jobs recruited into the security agencies, public services and admission into tertiary institutions.

The victims, she said, rushed to the police station to make formal reports when they heard of his arrest.

ASP Obeng added that their investigations showed that Asante is fake – an imposter, who has been involved in a number of fraud cases in Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions.

He had already confessed to swindling his victims of their monies, using false representation.

Asante has been ordered by the Ejisu Magistrate Court to be held in prison and would make his next appearance on November 08.

ASP Obeng appealed to everybody duped by Asante to report to the police.

Source: GNA