TWO FRAUDSTERS ARRESTED IN TAKORADI (PAGE 43)

TWO young men who attempted to defraud a contractor in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis of GH¢2 million have been arrested by the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
The suspects, Gerald Asante Adofo, 31, and Owusu Agyemang Godes and three others at large, allegedly planned to defraud the contractor but were later arrested after the contractor discovered it was a “419” scam and reported them to the police.
According to a police source, the two tried to sell a well-packaged dry tree bark which was cut into pieces and shaped to look like Jingo seeds, a special product which could only be found in Kenya, to the contractor.
The suspects, according to the source, later arranged with a “white man” who claimed he had just arrived in the country from the United Kingdom (UK) purposely to collect the seed on behalf of someone back in the UK.
Upon the arrest, the suspects said the move was a ploy to defraud the contractor but claimed they were not part of the original plan.
The two said they were only leading the three to the contractor in Secondi/Takoradi.
The victim was said to have told the police that he had a call from somebody who claimed to be a friend to his long lost friend in the UK and asked him to assist a representative of a team of medical doctors to purchase the seed which is in high demand in UK.
But to enable him to benefit, the victim said the caller asked that he (the victim) should first buy the seed and then resell them to a white man for profit.
According to the police, the victim said he was informed by the caller that the said white man would arrive at the Kotoka International Airport at an agreed date and time so he should arrange to meet him on arrival.
He, however, said the following day, he had a call from a man who told him that he had already arrived in Ghana and checked into a hotel.
When contacted, the Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Olivia Adiku, confirmed the story, adding that the victim met the said white man outside the hotel in which he said he was lodging.
According to the police, the victim later met the suspects who showed him packaged seeds and told him it was in high demand in Europe and the Americas and added that they were looking for buyers.
She said the victim then arranged to meet the suspects later at Apam Junction in the Central Region and bought some of the seeds with GH¢500 and also issued a cheque for GH¢200.
The victim, according to the police, then called the said white man and showed him the seed and he (white man) expressed delight and subsequently advised the victim not to show the seeds to anybody but try to buy all the quantities from those who sold them to him.
Chief Inspector Adiku said the victim, who at that time had become suspicious, feigned interest and later informed the police who arrested the two while their other three partners bolted.
Chief Inspector Adiku said the two were helping the police in their investigations.