Fraudster Jailed Eight Years

The Agona Swedru Circuit Court has handed a total of eight years and four months jail sentence to a female fraudster who duped seven persons to the tune of GH¢12,000 under the pretext of helping either them or their children to travel abroad.

Roseline Gyan Mensah, alias Gertrude, took various sums of money from her victims (some of whom are her church members), between September 2008 and March 2009 and went underground, only to resurface later.

The sitting judge, Mr N.K.E. Osam, convicted Roseline on her own plea of guilty to the seven counts of defrauding by false pretences and sentenced her to a prison term with hard labour.

The Judicial Police Officer (JUPOL), Superintendent Raymond A. Martey, told the court that after collecting GH¢900 from her first victim, a carpenter at Gomoa Benso, another GH¢1,700 from a midwife at Gomoa Beseadze and GH¢600 from a Swedru-based trader, Roseline later introduced herself to a congregation at a prayer session that she was a travel agent.

After getting herself introduced in October 2008 to one Isaac Afadzi, a trader, by one Reverend Dorcas Mensah as an agent who helps people to travel abroad, Rosline attended a prayer session organised by Pastor Dorcas Mensah of the Divine Powers Ministry at Swedru in November 2008.

While there, she informed the entire congregation that she had a son who worked with an NGO in the United Kingdom, where young and energetic men were being recruited to work with the said NGO in London.

Superintendent Martey said one Kofi Ofori Ntifu got interested and subsequently paid GH¢1,500 to Roseline for her to secure passports and visas for his two children.

After she received the money, however, Rosline went into hiding. She was never seen again until May 27, this year when Ntifu got wind of Roseline’s arrest and detention at the Swedru Divisional Police Headquarters in connection with similar offences she had committed against others.

The SUPOL further stated that Ntifu went to the police station and identified Roseline as the one who defrauded him.

The various sums of money she collected from her victims ranged between GH¢100, GH¢420, US$2,800 and GH¢5,100, out of which she could not refund a pesewa to any of the victims.

From Ekow Yamoah