A 31-year-old self-acclaimed Nurse and businesswoman, Hawa Seidu, has allegedly acted together with Michael Yankah, 28 and a businessman, to defraud four persons seeking job opportunities at the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Customs, National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) off GH¢140,000 or old ¢1.4 billion.
The interesting aspect of this case is that Hawa, who allegedly posed as a nurse to defraud the complainants, was a surety of Michael in a similar fraud case pending before another court.
The accused persons allegedly succeeded in demanding and collecting the quoted amount above under the pretence that they had connections at Jubilee House, and if they were given the said money they could help the complainants secure jobs at the Central Bank, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), National Petroleum Authority, and Ghana Immigration Service.
The complainants – Paul Kwaku Mayebi, Isaac Kojo Asare and Nana Bright Tuffour – paid the amount, somewhere in August 2021, after which the accused persons went into hiding.
The accused persons were arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah, on one count of conspiracy to commit a crime, and three counts of defrauding by false pretence.
Hawa and Michael pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail. Michael was granted bail in the sum of GH¢150,000 with two sureties, one of whom is to be justified by landed property, while the other should be a civil servant earning not less than GH¢2,000.00 a month.
Hawa was also granted bail with the same conditions as Michael.
Michael was ordered to report to the police station once a week.
The brief facts
The facts of the case, as presented by the Prosecuting Officer, Inspector Sheila Tetteh, were that the complainants – Paul Kwaku Mayebi, Peter Keyerewurah, Isaac Asare Kojo and Nana Bright Tuffour – are businessmen.
She said Hawa Seidu claim she is a nurse and lives at Oduman near Abeka-Lapaz, Accra, while Emmanuel Yankah is a businessman who also resides at Kotobabi, all suburbs of Accra.
The prosecutor narrated to the court that during the month of August 2021, one Bernice introduced the accused persons to the complainants.
After this meeting and introduction, the accused persons then told the complainants that they had a protocol connection at Jubilee House, and if the complainants gave them the sum of GH¢140,000.00, they could secure them jobs at the Bank of Ghana, National Petroleum Authority, Customs Division and Immigration Service within the same month.
The complainants became convinced and in the same month paid the GH¢140,000.00 to the accused.
Paul paid GH¢95,000 for himself and his son, Peter, for BoG job; Asare, GH¢45,000 to work with Customs, and Toffour, GH¢10,000 for a GIS job.
Regrettably, the accused persons, after they received the said amounts, started playing hide and seek with the complainants.
On September 29, 2022, the complainants reported the matter to the police and Hawa was arrested.
Hawa admitted the offence in her caution statement to the police – that she received cash in the sum of GH¢140,000.00 from the complainants to secure them jobs, but failed.
She, however, told the police that the money was in the custody of Emmanuel Yankah, her business partner.
The prosecutor further informed the court that investigations revealed that Hawa was not a Nurse and she was Emmanuel’s surety in a similar case.
On October 15, 2022, Emmanuel Yankah was arrested and admitted the offence in his caution statement, with the explanation that he received the sum of GH¢120,000.00 from Hawa, which the same was handed to one Dorcas to assist the complainants to get the jobs, but she couldn’t.
