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Crime & Punishment of Monday, 18 December 2006

Source: Times

Fraud Suspect Re-Arrested

A man who is alleged to have used the name of the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, to defraud some unsuspecting people, has been re- arrested by the Police after he jumped bail about two weeks ago.

Alhaji Salifu Sani, 34, attempted to outwit the police by putting Plaster-of-Paris on his leg to feign injury, the Police told the Times on Friday.

Deputy CID Director Patrick Ampewuah, said Sani’s tale that he had been involved in a motor accident on his way to Accra from Tamale, turned out to be false. He admitted he had not reported the accident to the police, adding that he did not know the registration number of the vehicle he was driving.

Sani allegedly defrauded his victims his claiming he could secure them visas, including diplomatic ones.

Mr. Ampewuah said the police had received complaints from a number of people that they had been duped by Sani who promised to secure them visas. He had succeeded in collecting over ¢110 million and 112, 000 dollars from various people.

Mr. Ampewuah said the complainants told the police that they were, at different periods, introduced to Sani as someone who could secure them visas to Japan, Canada, the USA and other countries and they were the more convinced when they were told that Sani was the Vice President’s younger brother.

Mr. Ampewuah said Sani was exposed when a photocopy of the visa to Japan he gave to one of his victims was found to be forged client. According to Mr. Ampewuah, in his excitement at detaining the ‘visa’, the victim showed it to a friend who detected that it was fake and therefore sought assistance of the police to arrest Sani.

He was picked up last week after a three-week search.