The Assin Fosu District Court presided by His Worship Abdul Majid Iliasu, has remanded into police custody a 32-year-old, Ebenezer Asare, a driver, for publication of false news, causing false alarm and stealing.
Presenting the case to the court, the Prosecution, Seargeant Matilda Osaah Buabeng, explained that the Accused on 5th February 2023 went to the private residence of the National 1st Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Smith Danquah in Assin Fosu, purporting to have a piece of very crucial information for him.
The Accused in an open statement irrevocably said he is a driver of a KIA Truck who usually travels from Budumburam to Assin Dompim.
And that some bigwigs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had contracted him to transport firearms and ammunition from Budumburam to Assin Dompim in the Assin Fosu Municipality of the Central Region ahead of the 2024 general election.
The Accused added that the Crime Officer of the newly created Central North Regional Command, Superintendent Daniel Kwabena Darkoh, was the Senior Police Officer assigned to escort the NDC team with the alleged weapons to its appointed destination and further gave the crime officer’s telephone number to the Complainant.
After, providing the said information, the Accused demanded an amount of Gh¢200.00 from the Complainant for having volunteered such vital information which the complaint rightly obliged to his request.
The Accused remotely promised to keep updating the complainant about the movement of the team transporting the weapons.
The prosecutor, Sergeant Osaah Buabeng continued that, the Complainant, in the quest to seek further information, called the Accused on phone on the same evening but his response was negative.
But the Accused intermittently demanded money from the complainant.
Meanwhile, all efforts to hear from the Accused by the Complainant since then proved futile, until 9th February 2023, when he was spotted at Assin Nyankomase and was arrested.
Sergeant Osaah Buabeng revealed to the court that, before the case, the Accused person had gone to the Central North Regional Commander, DCOP Teye Cudjoe, with the same modus operandi that he has information on purported drug syndicates and demanded money to assist in apprehending the suspects.
The Commander thereafter directed him to the crime officer to liaise with him. It is through that the Accused got the Regional Crime Officer’s contact in which he gave to the complainant, Mr. Smith Danquah as the assigned police officer to escort the team.
The Accused person was subsequently arraigned before the regional commander where it came to light that the whole story was a hoax.
During interrogation, the Accused admitted that his action was to solicit money from unsuspecting people including the complainant.
On the other hand, a second complainant, Yaw Korkor who is an employee of the first complaint, Mr. Danquah Smith came to the station to testify that the Accused person also ran away with a Tecno mobile keypad phone.
After the investigation, the Accused was charged with the offenses of Publication of false news, causing fear and alarm, and stealing and was put before court.
The case was however adjourned to 14th March 2023 to allow the police to carry out further investigation following an appeal by the prosecutor.
