Man, 23, swindles 4 students

Page 3: Daily Graphic, April 8, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
FOUR prospective students seeking admission to the University of Ghana, Legon, were said to have lost GH¢5,400 to a suspected swindler who is now being held by the police.
Ernest Obeng, 23, who claimed to be a degree student of the School of Communication Studies of the university, was arrested when one of his victims suspected foul play when he received from the suspect a purported admission letter signed by Nana Essilfie Conduah offering her admission to read BSc Administration.
The Head of the Police Panthers Unit, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Francis Somian, told newsmen yesterday that documents printed from the website of the University of Ghana were also retrieved from the suspect.
He said one of the victims, who paid GH¢1,350 to Obeng informed her brother that she suspected Obeng might have defrauded her because the admission letter was not on the letterhead of the University of Ghana.
He said based on the complaint, the victim's brother notified the police with the purported admission letter, adding that
when the suspect was arrested, he allegedly confessed to collecting the money from the victim to help her to gain admission.
The suspect, he said, however, informed the police that the girl had been putting so much pressure on him, hence the decision to print out an admission letter with the documents from the University of Ghana as proof that she had gained admission.
DSP Somian said the victim, who also knew of other female students who had approached the suspect for assistance, immediately notified them about the development.
He said when the other victims came to identify the suspect in police custody, Obeng admitted collecting the money from them.
He said the suspect, however, claimed he had refunded GH¢1,350 to the first victim, while he was yet to refund GH¢1,410, GH¢1,840 and GH¢800 to the remaining three victims, one of whom was said to be the sister-in-law of the suspect's brother.
The suspect told the police, in the presence of newsmen, that the victims sought his assistance to fill the admission forms on the University of Ghana website and also help them to gain admission.
When asked if he was aware that the School of Communication Studies did not run undergraduate programmes, Obeng insisted that it ran an undergraduate course.
Surprisingly, he had informed one of his victims that he was studying Law at the University of Ghana.
As to who the head of the School of Communication Studies was, Obeng said he did not know.
He said he was doing a top-up course at the School of Communication Studies, having completed a diploma course at the Africa University College of Communication (AUCC).
DSP Somian advised prospective students seeking admission to the universities to endeavour to go through the right procedures and avoid short-cuts, since they could be defrauded.
Investigations continue.