A Cape Coast Circuit Court, has sentenced a 32-year-old driver to three years imprisonment for duping 51 people of GH¢57,510. 00, under the pretext of securing them jobs in the public sector.
The convict, Mark Doughan, pleaded not guilty to the charge of defrauding by false pretence, but was found guilty by the court presided over by Mrs Dorinda Smith Arthur.
The convict, is a driver who resides at Edukrom near Cape Coast, and his accomplice, identified only as Sadik, is on the run, while one Albert Bruce, the main perpetrator, had already been imprisoned by the court.
Sergeant Yakubu Iddrisu narrating the facts of the case, said in February, 2019, Bruce who claimed to be a senior police officer, met Doughan at Elmina and during conversation, told him he could help people secure jobs into different parts of the public sector, at a fee.
Bruce was said to have told Doughan that his friend by name Sadik whom he claimed was also a senior policeman, would facilitate the process.
Doughan, contacted Naana Ibrahim, a witness in the case, to help him secure jobs for people in the vicinity and charged fees between GH¢500.00 and GH¢7,000.00.
Naana Ibrahim handed over GH¢147,000.00 she had collected from 51 victims awaiting recruitment to Doughan.
According to Sgt Iddrisu, Doughan transferred GH¢79,490.00 out of the amount to Bruce and kept the balance of GH¢57,510.00 to himself.
Sometime in July 2020, Mrs Comfort Adoma, a victim of the fraud, lodged a complaint against Doughan and Bruce when the jobs were not forthcoming and Bruce and Doughan were arrested.
Bruce confessed transferring some monies to Sadik and convict also admitted that he (Bruce) had earlier sent fake letters to the victims to report at various public offices under the pretext of recruitment after he realised pressure coming from the victims had become unbearable.
Sgt Iddrisu said Bruce and Doughan had so far refunded GH¢31,000.00 to the police, adding that the police was on the heels of Sadik. – GNA
