A policeman, who allegedly impersonated the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, and Director-General of CID, Commissioner of Police (COP) Ken Yeboah, has been granted GH¢100,000 bail, by the Circuit Court, in Accra.
General Corporal Akonor Opoku, who was charged on two counts of attempting to commit crime and defrauding by false pretense, pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mrs Adelaide Abui Keddey, ordered him to produce two sureties. Counsel for Gen Cpl Opoku, Mr Kofi Agyena Agyemang, prayed the court to grant his client bail.
The court ordered prosecution to file and serve all disclosures and witness statement within 21 days, and adjourned the case to August 31, 2022, for Case Management Conference between the parties.
Police Chief Inspector Richard Amoah, prosecuting, told the court that the complainant was a Lebanese and a resident of Tema Community 11, whilst the accused was a policeman with National Patrols Department of the Ghana Police, headquarters in Accra.
The prosecution said on October 11, 2021, the complainant petitioned the Director General of CID to investigate and arrest Nalia for stealing USD40,000.00 from his room, on August 18, 2021.
Chief Insp Amoah said on August 19, 2021, the complainant received text messages and phone calls on his Vodafone and MTN contact numbers from an unknown Airtel Tigo number and the persons posed as the IGP and the Director-General of CID.
Prosecution said the callers told the complainant that they knew where the suspect Nalia was hiding and that he should pay GH¢10,000.00 for her arrest.
Chief Insp Amoah said the complainant transferred GH¢150.00 to accused through MoMo and promised to pay the remaining amount upon the arrest of the suspect.
The court heard that the callers kept calling the complainant and sending him text messages to demand the balance.
Prosecution said the complainant reported to the police after she realised the callers, were neither IGP nor Director-General of CID.
Chief Insp Amoah said investigations revealed accused used a Bontel phone with two SIM slots (IME’s) or (two Airtel Tigo numbers) to contact the complainant as the IGP and Director-General of CID.
The court heard that accused used his personal phone to call compliant 198 times between August, 23,2021, and September 27, 2021.
Chief Insp Amoah said accused registered the Airtel Tigo numbers from mobile money vendors, who were witnesses in the case, under the pretext of registering them for his superiors at the Police Headquarters-Accra. -GNA
