Fake journalist in court for fraud

Aflao, Aug 5, GNA - An unemployed man who posed as a journalist working with the United Nations and defrauded five people under the pretext of registering them as refugees has been but before an Aflao Circuit Court.

John Cyril Mensah, 32, was charged with defrauding under false pretences.

He pleaded not guilty and was granted 100 million cedis (GHc 10,000) bail with one surety to appear again on August 20. Miss Mary Assan, a police Inspector at Aflao, told the court presided over by Group Captain Martin Obeng-Ntim (RTD) that last year the accused told one of his victims at Aflao that he was a journalist working for the UN Refugee Agency.

Mensah told the victim that he could register him with the Ghanaian Embassy in Togo as a refugee under the UN and also secure a travel visa for him and collected from the victim one million cedis (GHc 100) for the process in Lome.

Mensah returned and told his victim that four others were needed and he invited four people to join him for the deal. Miss Assan said Mensah convinced the victims to provide extra funds to process affidavits, new passports, travelling insurance, refugee stickers and yellow fever inoculation cards.

She said the accused collected 41 million cedis from the five and went into hiding until he was spotted in June at Nogokpo by one of his victims who caused his arrest. Miss Assan said Mensah admitted the offence in his statement but said the amount involved was not up to the tune being mentioned by the victims. 05 Aug 07