The Police in Kumasi have arrested a self-styled 34-year-old lawyer, Michael Asante for allegedly duping people within the metropolis for close to 10 years.
The suspect, also known as Michael Yaw Antwi Boasiako, is said to have defrauded several people under the pretext of securing for them contracts, enlistments into the security services and admissions into tertiary institutions.
He was arrested last Tuesday, October 24, at Fumesua by personnel from the National Security.
He was arrested after he introduced himself to two contractors as the Special Assistant to the Chief Eexecutive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) and collected an amount of GH¢695,000 under the pretext of helping to secure a contract to build oil storage tanks for the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
Briefing
Briefing the media, the Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Miss Juliana Obeng, said the suspect, had also introduced himself to some of his victims as a Law Consultant and other times, as a lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
She said the suspect took monies from his victims ranging from GH¢5, 000 to GH¢40,000 to assist them enlist into the security services and secure them admissions into the tertiary institutions and jobs at the ministries and agencies.
She said after collecting the money, the suspect went into hiding and when all efforts to trace him proved futile, some of the victims reported to the police.
She said the two contractors who were swindled on the oil deal, mentioned the issue to a National Security Operative who managed to arrest him at Fumesua in his vehicle and handed him over to the police.
Ms Obeng said the regional command believed that there could be more people who have fallen victims to his pranks and appealed to anyone who has been defrauded by the suspect to report to the regional command to assist in investigations.
