Court imposes fine on fake police officer

The Enchi District Magistrate court on Tuesday imposed a fine of GH¢1,200 on a 41 year-old pastor who posed as a police officer and duped three persons of GH¢3,000 under the pretext of getting them enlisted into the Ghana Police Service.

Gideon Nkrumah in default of the fine would serve nine months imprisonment in hard labour.

The presiding judge, His worship Mr Eric Baah Boateng, also ordered Nkrumah to sign a GH¢2,000 bond to be of good behavior for twelve months or in default nine months imprisonment in hard labour.

The court before pronouncing judgment considered the following that Nkrumah in his first appearance in court pleaded guilty to the charges of impersonation and defrauding by false pretense and prayed for leniency. He has also refunded in full the amount he collected from his victims.

Prosecuting, Police Detective Sergeant Richard Hackman Addae, earlier informed the court that, the complainants; Ruben Tetteh, Augustine Andoh Amoah and Mary Animah all teachers at Boinso in the Aowin Municipality, while the accused resides at Elubo in the Jomoro District and claims to be the founder of Missiah Power Ministry church.

The prosecution said at about 1600 hours, on November 19, this year, the Boinso Police had a tip off that the accused had arrived in the Boinso community and was claiming to some residents that he was a Police officer stationed at Elubo and that he was doing a special undercover investigation in the town.

He said on that same day at about 1700 hours Nkrumah proceeded to the Boinso Police station and introduced himself to the duty bearers as a police officer with service number 43 D/Sgt from Elubo.

Detective Addae said after the introduction the accused left the police station but the officers on duty secretly followed him and nabbed him at his hideout.

The prosecution said while the officers were interrogating the accused at the Police station; Tetteh, Amoah and Animah arrived to lodge a complaint that the accused person had collected a sum of GH¢3,000.00 from them with the assurance of assisting them get enlisted into the Ghana Police Service.

Source: GNA