Woman fined GH¢1,080 for impersonating Police Commander to defraud bereaved father

The Assin Fosu District Court has fined a 38-year-old woman, Sarah Wilson, also known as Maame Esi, 90 penalty units (GH¢1,080.00) for impersonating the Central North Regional Police Commander, DCOP Abraham Acquaye.

In default of payment, she will serve six months' imprisonment. The court further ordered that she will serve an additional six months if she breaches a bond to be of good behaviour.

Maame Esi was charged with impersonation, stealing, and fraudulently obtaining an electronic payment medium after she extorted money from the father of a deceased police officer, who was her boyfriend.

Presiding judge Mr Peter Anonydare convicted her on her own plea of guilty.

According to the prosecution led by Inspector Matilda Osaah Buabeng, the case began when the father of the late Inspector Evans Krampah, formerly of the Central North Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), reported a suspected fraud.

The complainant said he received a call from a woman who introduced herself as the Central North Regional Police Commander and requested GH¢2,000 to process a burial certificate for his late son ahead of the funeral.

Believing the request to be genuine, the bereaved father transferred the money electronically. He later became suspicious when the caller demanded an additional GH¢2,000 for another purpose and reported the matter to the police.

Investigations led to the arrest of Maame Esi, who was identified as the girlfriend of the deceased officer. Police established that the phone numbers used in the transactions were registered in her name.

During interrogation, she admitted orchestrating the scheme.

The prosecution told the court that she used a voice changing application known as “Magic Voice” to disguise her voice as that of a man in order to deceive the complainant.

Police also recovered GH¢2,000 believed to be proceeds of the crime.

She was subsequently arraigned before the Assin Fosu District Court, where she pleaded guilty and was convicted.