“I am very sorry, forgive me my lord”, fraudster pleads in court

A 28-year-old unemployed, who defrauded seven people under the pretext of securing them admission into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and the Nursing Training College (NTC) in the country, pleaded for forgiveness when he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty. David Tawiah Robertson remorsefully stated “I am very sorry, forgive me my lord”, when he was convicted on his own plea, and asked to pay a fine of GH¢1,000 plus an amount of GH¢6,122, which he took from his victims. In default, he would serve 36 months in prison in hard labour. Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Owusu Manu told the Kumasi Circuit Court, presided over by Mr. Ernest Yao Obimpe that, David, the convict and the complainant Grace Afari Dankwa, a student of the University of Education Winneba, Kumasi Campus, were long time friends at Tepa in the Ashanti Region. He explained that David, who was now living in Accra, whilst the complainant lives at Abrepo in Kumasi. He said some time in 2006, Robertson called Grace on her phone and asked her to find interested Senior High School (SHS) graduates who wanted to be enlisted into the Ghana Armed Forces as well as those who want to pursue their education at the Nursing Training Colleges in any part of the country, since he could help. The prosecutor said Robertson instructed her that those interested must submit their passport sized photographs, result slips, birth certificates as well as not less than GH¢400 to him through the complainant. To show his seriousness, Robertson travelled all the way to Kumasi and managed to secure the said amount from the seven victims. After receiving the money, he issued admission letters to some of the victims through the complainant and absconded. The victims then sent their letters to the various institutions only to be told the letters were faked, so they caused the arrest of the complainant, but with the help of the Odorkor Police, the convict was also arrested and brought to Kumasi. In his caution statement, he denied collecting money from the complainant, but admitted having disguised himself on different occasion as an Army Officer, a Bursar or an accountant upon the instructions of the complainant. The convict was then charged with the offence after Police investigations.