419 con falls on his own dagger

The stench of ‘free’ cash proved too powerful a lure in the nostrils of a conman, and after duping a victim of $48,000, he ended up in a police-knitted web crafted for his arrest as he went for more.

Akpomofune Omamurhumu Lewis, a Nigerian national who has been living in Ghana for over a year and a half, is putting up with the police and is due for court soon after he succeeded in defrauding a Mexican lady to the tune of $48, 000.

A CID source at the Police Headquarters said on April 10, 2007, the unit received a complaint from the victim through the Police website.

Lewis, who has been living in Ghana for about one-and-half years, began communicating with his victim in 2006. He assumed the name Jude Mensah and told his victim that he was a Liberian Refugee whose parents and siblings died during the Liberian war and left behind trunks of boxes containing $38 million, which had been kept in a security company called "Secure Global Security".

Through the internet, he requested help from the victim to enable him claim the money and transfer it to a foreign country. He also assured the victim of a commission of 20 percent for her assistance.

Along the line Lewis assumed a new identity as Mark Kofi, Director for Secure Global Security. And as the victim became interested, Lewis demanded money on different occasions to pay to the secu¬rity company, prepare power of attorney and for change of ownership among others.

The victim sent several sums of money totaling $48,000 but never received the $38 million dollars promised. The victim became suspi¬cious and sent a complaint to the CID.

On May 5, Akpomofune Lewis, aka Mark Kofi, aka Jude Mensah, was lured from his hide out to a spot at the Shining Beach at Nungua with the promise of more money from his victim and arrested.

In his caution statement the suspect admitted having defrauded his victim while investigations have established that Secure Global Security Company does not exist.