Fake doctor swindles student nurses

A man who posed as a medical doctor and promised to get five ladies enrolled in nursing training institutions has found himself in the grips of the law.

Nana Kofi Boakye who used the name Doctor Owusu Batistuter demanded various sums of money from the ladies, but failed to deliver, has landed him in a remand by the Abeka Magistrate Court.

His victims included Lydia Owusu, a shop attendant who paid GH¢2,500 to gain admission, Charity Karikari, a 23-year old who also paid GH¢2,800 and Barbara Owusu who forfeited GH¢4,800 to see her dream of becoming a nurse realized.

Others are Elizabeth Akiamoah, a 48-year-old paid $5,200 and an extra GH¢2,300 with a hope of getting admission into a nursing training school and Irene Twum Barimah, a student paid GH¢470 and $2,500 to the fake doctor.

The phone dealer turned doctor according to investigator, Charles Owusu Boateng, when he mounted the witness box told the court presided over by Emmanuel Nana Antwi-Barima, Magistrate of the Abeka Court that the accused deceived his victims that he was a medical doctor at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Detective Owusu Boateng said on May 10, 2013 one of the victims, Lydia Owusu reported at the Abeka Police Post that the accused who was a customer in her shop located at Lapaz had collected GH¢2,800 with a promise to enrol her in a nursing training school.

Later when the accused called to demand $1,500 “she became suspicious and sensed he could not trust him” and, therefore, reported to the police.

On May 13, 2013, with the help of the police, the complainant called the suspect that the money was ready “and he showed up, but bolted upon seeing that the lady was not alone.”

The investigator said the accused left his car when he took off. The car was later towed to the Tesano Police Station.

“Then a man identified the car as his and claimed that he gave it to the accused who was his friend on hiring basis. He said his friend had called him that his father had arrived from the United States of America, and so he gave the car to him.”

Upon the instruction of the District Commander, the investigator said, some police officers were detailed to follow the owner of the car to apprehend the accused.

When the accused was arrested, he admitted in his statement to the police that he was not a medical officer.

A search conducted in the car recovered a receipt for stethoscope, a medical instrument, with the name of the accused on it.

Police found that the shop, which issued the receipt, was located near the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

At the shop, Chris Obimaco Ventures Limited, a surgical shop which sold medical equipment, the shop attendant identified the accused as the doctor who bought the stethoscope even though the accused alleged the receipt was for a friend.

Later, the investigator said four more people came up “and reported that they were victims of the doctor who used the same modus operandi to deceive them.”

Magistrate Antwi-Barima after hearing the facts asked the accused who has been charged with impersonation and fraud if he had any question for the witness, but the man who throughout the trial had his left hand in the pocket only shook his head answering in the negative.

Magistrate Antwi-Barima remanded him into Police custody, and announced he would give his judgement on June 26, 2013.