A 52-year-old self-styled police officer has been sentenced to five years imprisonment by a Kumasi Circuit Court for swindling a hotelier and another person of Ghc3,300.00.

Kwasi Kyei took the money under the pretext of helping to get children of the victims enlisted into the police service. He was convicted after he had pleaded guilty to charges of impersonation and fraud.

Police Chief Inspector Sylvanus D’Almeida told the court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo-Yartey that the hotelier, Nana Ofori Dwomoh, had joined a mini-bus with Kyei on September 22 from Kumasi to Agona-Swedru, and through conversation the convict introduced himself as a police officer.

He convinced him that he was an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) at Accra Central and could be of help to people seeking to enlist in the Ghana Police Service.

Nana Dwomoh fell for the bait and struck a deal with him to fix his son in the service at a fee of Ghc2,100.00, which was paid a week after they had met.

Later actions by Kyei made the hotelier become suspicious, he therefore, decided to check with the Accra Central Police if the convict was indeed a serving officer as he claimed.

His fear was confirmed when it turned out that he was an imposter.

He consequently made a formal report to the police and Kyei was arrested by the Striking Force Unit in Kumasi, November, 24.

It was after his arrest that David Baah, the other victim, also made a report of having been duped of his Ghc1,200.00 by the convict, employing the same trick.