A Cape Coast Circuit Court has sentenced a 32-year-old driver to three years imprisonment for duping 51 people to the tune 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, 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 a lengthy 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.
Convinced, Doughan, contacted one Naana Ibrahim, a witness in the case to help him secure jobs for people in the vicinity with fees ranging between GH¢500.00 and GH¢7,000.00, which she agreed.
Naana Ibrahim later, handed over an amount of GH¢147,000.00 she had collected from 51 victims awaiting recruitment, to Doughan.
According to Sergeant Iddrisu, Doughan in turn, 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 traced and arrested.
Bruce confessed transferring some monies to Sadik.
The convict also admitted that he and Bruce had earlier sent some fake letters to the victims to report at various public offices under the pretext of recruitment after he realized the pressures coming from the victims had become unbearable.
Sergeant Iddrisu said Bruce and Doughan had so far refunded an amount of GH¢31,000.00 to the police, which had been shared among some victims.
He said the Police was on the heels of Sadik to arraign him before court.
Source: Modern Ghana
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