Takoradi Police arrest fraudster
Takoradi, July 18, GNA - A 45-year old driver, James Nana Yaw Agyei, from Elmina in the Central Region is in the grips of the Takoradi Police for attempting to swindle a car rental operator.
The District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Husseini Musah Awinaba told the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday that the suspect was arrested on July 17 at about 2200 hours, at the Shippers Roundabout in Takoradi.
Explaining the modus operandi of the suspect DSP Awinaba said Agyei called one Selasi Dey, the Manager of Andy Travel and Tour Limited, a car rental service operator with his cell phone in Takoradi around 2000 hours on that day.
The suspect introduced himself as the Manager of Busua Beach Resort in the Ahanta West District and that a bus he was using to convey some expatriates to the facility had broken down at Ewusiejoe near, Agona Nkwanta and therefore wanted to rent a bus to pick his clients.
DSP Awinaba said when Dey was on his way to pick the stranded expatriates, the suspect called him again and asked him (Dey) to give GH¢280 to an MTN vendor at Shippers Roundabout in Takoradi.
The suspect Agyei told Dey that his driver would come and collect the money from the MTN vendor in order to seek the services of an auto mechanic at Edzii Roundabout to purchase some car parts to repair the broken down vehicle.
The suspect assured Dey through the telephone conversation that when he arrive at Ewusiejoe, the money would be paid to him in addition to the transport services he would render to the stranded expatriates.
The police said since Dey had been swindled through similar tricks three years ago, he quickly informed the police and two policemen were detailed to accompany him.
Upon reaching Takoradi Shippers Roundabout, the two policemen laid ambush and Mr Dey came out and gave the money to the MTN Credit vendor.
A few minutes later when Dey had left, Agyei approached the MTN vendor, introduced himself as the driver of the Manager of the Busua Beach Resort, and asked for the money.
The police said while Agyei was about to receive the money from the vendor, the police rushed to the place and arrested him.
The police accompanied the suspect to Ewusiejoe where he claimed that some expatriates were stranded but found nobody there.
DSP Awinaba said the suspect had been using similar tricks on many unsuspecting people in the past and had succeeded in defrauding them.
The police investigations had revealed that the suspect sometimes uses the name of the headmaster of Daboase Senior High school and other prominent people in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis to defraud his victims.
DSP Awinaba said an identification parade would be conducted on July 19 to enable the public to identify him.
He said since his arrest many people who had fallen victim to the tricks of Agyei had thronged the Takoradi Central Police Station to identify the suspect.