Massive Scam Hits Over 1,000 Disabled In Koforidua

A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), the Rev. T.A Topper the II Foundation (RTATF), has allegedly defrauded over 1000 persons with disability in Koforidua in the Eastern region.

The NGO, which is led by Ms Matilda Topper, is reported to have promised to support the disabled persons if they registered with the organisation.

Some of the promises include providing free vocational training to people with disability, as well as wheel chairs, food stuffs, money and clothes.

This enticed many disabled persons in the region to register with the NGO at a cost of over GH¢ 15.00 per person.

The GNA reports that over 1,000 disabled persons registered with the NGO, with each paying GH¢ 10.00 for registration and GH¢ 5.00 for two passport size pictures.

Registered persons were also made to buy a customized T-Shirts of RTATF at a cost of GH¢ 20.00, the report said.

However, after fulfilling their part of the agreement, the NGO failed to deliver on its earlier promises made to them.

The Eastern Regional branch of the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled (GSPD) has therefore appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to help them to collect the registration fees they paid to the NGO.

Chairman of GSPD, Daniel Agyekum, said the NGO has so far failed to honour its promises after taking the monies of the disabled persons.

He explained that all persons who registered with the NGO were asked to converge at the Jackson Park in Koforidua on September 27 for their parcels.

Mr. Agyekun said on the given date, many people with disabilities went to Jackson Park and waited in the rain for their parcels but Ms Topper failed to honour her promise.

Meanwhile, explaining her version of the story, Ms Topper told the GNA that, she had a good package for the new members of her organization which include a vocational training for their children with monthly allowance and wheel chairs, but their rude action on the meeting day made her not to present the parcels that she promised them.

She said she has no money to pay back the new registrants because she used the registration fees to rent a hotel for six of the disabled persons who arrived in Koforidua a day before the scheduled date of the meeting.

She explained that part of the money was also used to rent canopies and a bus for a float, adding that she is now thinking on how to re-organize the program to support disabled persons in the region.

Meanwhile, officers at the Koforidua Central Police Station say they cannot find anything incriminating Ms Topper or her NGO despite the 'defrauded' disabled persons reporting the case.