Police arrest suspected fraudster

Page 21: Daily Graphic, August 29, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE police have arrested a 39-year-old man for allegedly defrauding three persons of GH¢45,000.
Daniel Anane, alias Nana Gyebi, who was picked up from the Akwatia Police Station last Saturday, where he was being held for allegedly defrauding other people in that area, is currently assisting the Vetting and Criminal Intelligence Analysis (VCIA) unit of the Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters in investigations.
He is alleged to have defrauded his victims by misleading them into purchasing Ginkgo seeds at the request of a medical doctor in the United Kingdom for the purposes of treating cancer and ulcer.
Nana Gyebi, however, told the police that it was a friend of his, Kwaku Emma, currently at large, who directed him to meet the complainants to collect money after which he was given GH¢1,000.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra, the head of the VCIA, Superintendent Dennis Akob Abade, said the first victim, a 59-year-old farmer, parted with GH¢20,000 while the second victim, a woman, parted with GH¢5,000.
He said the farmer told the police that a communication centre operator approached him (farmer) on August 6, 2009, to give him the number 00447031808362 as that of someone purporting to have called several times wanting to speak to the farmer.
He said when the farmer returned the call, the person who received it identified himself as George, who knew the farmer since 1992, but was now domiciled in the UK.
Supt Abade said the farmer became convinced after he was told that he (farmer) was a native of Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He said George then informed the farmer that a doctor friend of his in the UK needed Ginko seeds to buy to treat cancer and ulcer patients.
According to Supt. Abade, George said because of the profit margin involved, he decided to talk to the farmer for him to utilise the opportunity to make good money.
He said George then gave the farmer cellphone number 0244257437 as that of the supplier in Ghana and 0542944504 as that of the medical doctor’s agent in Ghana.
Supt Abade said after calling the purported agent, the farmer was asked to meet him (supplier) at Nsawam for a sample of the Ginkgo seed to be taken to the medical doctor’s agent in Accra to find out whether it was the same as the seed they needed.
He said after paying GH¢100 for the sample, the farmer called the medical doctor’s agent and they agreed to meet at Odo Rice Spot at Kokomlemle.
He said the purported agent rather sent someone to meet the farmer at the agreed place during which the person gave the farmer GH¢170 and confirmed that it was the very seed they were looking for.
Supt Abade said the agent then requested for 200 packaged pieces of the Ginkgo seeds.
He said the farmer then mobilised GH¢20,000 to purchase the seeds from the supplier.
According to him, the farmer, in the company of his daughter and son, went to Nsawam to collect the seeds for onward handover to the agent of the medical doctor.
Supt Abade said efforts to contact the agent of the medical doctor on phone to meet him at an agreed place for collection proved futile as his number had been switched off.
He said when the farmer tried to contact the supplier and the said George in the UK, their phones were also said to be switched off.
He said it was at that point that the farmer realised he had been defrauded and accordingly lodged a complaint with the police.
Supt Abade said while processing the complaint of the victim, a lady also walked in with a similar complaint of having been defrauded of GH¢5,000 through Ginkgo seeds she purchased.
He said the police then had information that the suspect was in custody at Akwatia on similar charges and accordingly requested for his transfer to the CID Headquarters for investigations into the new complaints.