Two individuals accused of impersonating Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, have been granted bail by an Accra High Court. Promise Ahorgah, a phone repairer, and Kwaotse Mawuli, a construction laborer, were each granted bail in the sum of GHC50,000 with two sureties, one of which must be justified.
The two accused have been charged with defrauding by false pretenses, as well as charlatanic advertisement and falsely pretending to be a public officer. These charges stem from the creation of a social media account in the MP’s name to solicit funds for flood victims following the spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong Dam.
Despite their denial of the offenses, the court granted them bail with the condition that they report to the police every fortnight on Fridays. They were also instructed to deposit copies of their Ghana cards with the Registry of the Court. The case has been adjourned to March 14, 2024.
The prosecution claims that the impersonators took copies of a flyer created by the complainant, modified it, and inserted their phone numbers. They then held themselves out as the complainant, urging the public to make cash donations into their mobile phone numbers. In doing so, they succeeded in fraudulently obtaining various sums of money.
The prosecution also stated that the accused persons used the name and photograph of the complainant to create several social media accounts and communicated with people to solicit donations into their mobile money accounts. The complainant discovered the fake flyer on social media, which led to the accused persons being apprehended.
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