Fake certificate syndicate busted

Three persons who allegedly issued fake certificates from universities in the country – including the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) – have been put before an Accra circuit court.

The accused persons, Daniel Kwabena Otchere, Eric Hode and James Thompson, were hauled before a court presided over by Mrs. Ellen Vivian Amoah after the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) had nabbed them and purportedly found on them various certificates and seals belonging to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

They were charged with conspiracy to commit crime, possession of means of forgery while Thompson was charged with additional five counts of possession of forged documents. They all pleaded not guilty.

They have been granted bail in the sum of GHc10,000 with three sureties; one to be a public servant. They are to report to the police every Tuesday and Thursday.

DSP Aidan Dery, the prosecutor who narrated events leading to the arrest of the suspects, said on July 29, 2015 information gathered by EOCO indicated that a syndicate located at Accra Newtown was producing fake certificates in a certain shop and so officials of EOCO were dispatched to the said shop.

He said the officials conducted a search in the shop and found an envelope containing two fake certificates from the University of Cape Coast and two National Board of Professional and Technical Certificates.

According to DSP Dery, seals of Land Title Registration, WAEC and a district magistrate court in Kumasi as well as standing deal machines were also found, adding that when confronted to disclose the source of the envelopes, Octchere said he received them from Hode.

Furthermore, he stated that fake documents were also later retrieved from the house of Thompson and said investigations revealed that the syndicate operated from the New Town shop which was owned by Rexford Anane Agyapong, now deceased.

DSP Aidan Dery said investigations also revealed that Thompson was the one who designed the fake certificates and embossed them to make them look genuine while other members played different roles to ensure that the fake certificates were produced after which various monies were charged for the work.

The prosecutor said they were charged with the offences after police had concluded investigations.