A queen mother, Jewel Oquaye Prempeh, has been brought before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding by false pretences after collecting GH₵93,000 to enlist 15 applicants into Ghana’s security Services and other institutions but failing to do so.
Jewel pleaded not guilty to the charges but told the Court that she was making frantic efforts to refund the money to the complainant. The court, presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah, admitted Jewel to bail in the sum of GH₵100,000 with one surety who must be a Ghanaian citizen, and adjourned the matter to February 14, 2024.
According to the prosecution, Jewel, who is the queen mother of the Ayite Kortor Community, informed the complainant, a businessman from Abeka, Accra, about “a recruitment opportunity slots she had in Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Audit Service, Ghana National Fire Service, COCOBOD, Bank of Ghana, SSNIT and Narcotics Control Board.” She allegedly claimed that she could obtain the recruitment slots because she had high profile personalities at the seat of government, specifically in the office of the Chief of Staff.
The complainant, convinced by the assurances, paid an initial sum of GH₵93,000 to Jewel through the complainant’s MTN mobile money wallet, and 15 applicant’s soft copies of certificates and application forms were also collected. However, despite promises of securing the jobs within two months, Jewel failed to deliver and went into hiding.
The matter was reported to the Police leading to Jewel’s arrest. In her investigation caution statement, she admitted to collecting the money to secure jobs but failing to do so.
The case has been brought before the court, and bail was granted with the requirement that the accused person’s attendance to court be compelled. It remains to be seen how the case will proceed in future proceedings.
