Footballer remanded for defrauding people

A Half-Assini Magistrate Court presided over by Mr Hens Kofi Kpodo on Wednesday remanded a 21-year-old footballer, Gaddiel Nketsiah Ankomah alias Abukari Touffique for fraud.

Ankomah from Mpintsin near Kojokrom in the Sekondi Metropolis was remanded for two weeks in police custody for defrauding 144 people with promise of securing them visas to travel abroad.

He pleaded not guilty.

Deputy Superintendent of Police John Furguson Dzineku, Jomoro District Commander told the GNA Sports in an interview that somewhere in November 2010, the accused collected an amount of GH¢17,332 from one John Tanoe, a carpenter at Mangyea near Half-Assini and 143 others under the pretext of acquiring them with Italian visas and passports but he failed to fulfill his promise.

DSP Dzineku said the accused failed to acquire both the passports and visas to his victims and therefore went into hiding.

He said the victims after detecting the deceit of the footballer then lodged a complaint at the Half-Assini Police Station and upon a tip-off the accused was arrested from his hide-out by the Takoradi Police and sent to Half-Assini to face prosecution.

The District Police Commander said the Ankomah admitted in his caution statement of collecting GH¢16,000 from the complainants and promised to refund the money to the complainants.

He is to re-appear in court on July 28, 2011.

Source: GNA