An Accra Circuit Court has remanded a retired fire officer into custody over allegations that he defrauded 60 prospective recruits of GH¢303,200 through a fake Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) recruitment scheme.
The court did not take a plea from Thomas Dorkenu, 60, who has been charged with obtaining money by false pretenses. The case has been adjourned to August 12, 2026.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Emmanuel Nyamekye, prosecuting, told the court, presided over by Mr. Kwabena Kodua Obiri-Yeboah, that Dorkenu allegedly collected the money after claiming he could facilitate enlistment into the GNFS via protocol arrangements.
According to the prosecution, Dorkenu informed one of the complainants, Ms. Eyram Davordzi-Banini, a midwife from Akatsi, on February 9, 2026, that he had secured recruitment slots from the Chief Fire Officer. He then asked her to mobilize prospective applicants.
Ms. Davordzi-Banini subsequently gathered 60 applicants and, on their behalf, paid GH¢303,200 to Dorkenu, which he claimed were approved protocol fees.
The prosecution further alleged that Dorkenu issued fake appointment letters instructing the applicants to report to the Ghana National Fire Service Training School on July 23, 2026.
However, when the applicants arrived for training, they discovered that the appointment letters were not genuine.
Following their complaints, the Chief Fire Officer launched an investigation, leading to Dorkenu’s arrest. He was handed over to the police alongside a Tecno Spark C30 mobile phone, believed to have been used in the scam.
In his caution statement, Dorkenu admitted to receiving the money but claimed he was also a victim of a scam involving a Telecel telephone number.
The police have since submitted the mobile phone for digital forensic analysis, and investigations are ongoing as they search for the user of the Telecel number involved in the scam
