Man imprisonment for posing as a public officer

Techiman (B/A) May 21, GNA - The Techiman Circuit Court presided over by Mr Justice Erasmus Gyinae on Friday, sentenced a 28 year-old unemployed man to 36 months imprisonment in hard labour for posing as a public officer and forging documents. Zenas Akanobre, the accused, pleaded guilty on two counts of possessing forged documents and posing as a public officer.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Sampson Y. Jebuni told the court that on May 17 this year, Akanobre forged the identity card of the mother, Rebecca Agempaga, a retired forestry worker at the Bolgatanga Forestry Commission by inserting his name as well as pasting his own photograph on the card.

Chief Insp Jebuni said the accused introduced himself to wood dealers as an official from the Forestry Commission and issued receipts and collected various sums of money from teak and wood sellers. The prosecutor said the dealers in wood and teak reported Akanobre 's conduct to the Unit Committee at the Gyarko in the Techiman Municipality and he was arrested. Chief Insp Jebuni said when the accused was searched a visitor's card of the Ministry of Finance was found on him and Police investigations established that he had used receipt books to collect monies from teak and wood dealers.

The prosecutor said during police interrogation, the accused confessed having fraudulently fixed his picture on the card, which belonged to the mother, to defraud people. Sentencing the accused, Mr Justice Gyinae said the conduct of the accused was reprehensive and ordered that the visitor's card be returned to the Ministry of Finance and the forged identity card and the receipt should be books destroyed.