State Prosecutors have filed a fresh charge sheet at the High Court against two young men accused of impersonating the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and other prominent individuals.
The accused, Promise Ahorgah, a phone repairer, and Kwaotse Mawuli, a building construction laborer, are alleged to have expanded their activities to include impersonating Hannah Bissue, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Women’s Organizer, and Thomas Ampem-Nyarko, MP for Asuogyaman.
Prosecutors revealed that the accused created social media accounts in the name of the North Tongu MP to solicit funds on behalf of victims affected by the Akosombo and Kpong Dam spillage.
The two had earlier pleaded not guilty to six counts, including defrauding by false pretenses, charlatanic advertisement, and falsely pretending to be a public officer.
They were granted bail in the sum of GH¢50,000 each.
However, in court on Monday, December 16, 2024, State Attorney Watkins Adamah informed Justice Naa Koowa Quarshie that a fresh charge sheet had been filed earlier that morning.
The prosecution requested the withdrawal of the previous charge sheet to allow for its substitution with the new one, which the court duly granted.
Defense counsel Lawrence Boampong Wiredu, holding brief for Martin Kpebu, requested an adjournment to review the new charges and consult with his clients adequately.
The case has been adjourned to January 13, 2025, when the accused will take their pleas.
The accused were initially arrested on December 13, 2023, by the National Signals Bureau following investigations into their activities.
The previous charges included two counts each of defrauding by false pretenses, charlatanic advertisement, and impersonating a public officer.
Brief facts of the case
The complainant in this case is the Member of Parliament for North Tongu and a resident of Accra.
It states that the first accused person is a mobile phone repairer while the 2nd accused person is a building construction labourer.
The Prosecution said, that following the Akosombo and Kpong dam spillage and the flooding of certain parts of the Volta Region, the complainant developed a flyer with the inscription ‘North Tongu MP’s Disaster Donation Drive,’ with a short code *713*75# requesting good Samaritans to donate in aid of the flood victims.
The prosecution stated that the 1st and 2nd accused persons with intent to defraud took copies of the complainant’s flyer on Facebook, modified the flyer, and inserted their respective phone numbers in the modified flyer.
“Holding themselves out as the complainant and causing the general public to wrongly believe they were the complainant, the 1st and 2nd accused persons published the fake and deceitful flyers on social media platforms requesting the general public to make cash donations into their mobile phone numbers 0535623416 and 0535364971 respectively, which each of the accused persons had stated on the fake and deceitful flyers,” the Prosecution stated.
The brief facts added that the 1st and 2nd accused persons again used the names and photographs of the complainant to create several social media accounts, personated the MP, and communicated with several people to solicit donations into their mobile money accounts.
“Through their acts of personation and publication of deceitful advertisement with the intent to defraud, the 1st and 2nd accused persons succeeded in causing members of the public to send to them sums of money,” the Court was told.
The Prosecution said, the complainant who chanced on the fake flyer on social media petitioned the National Signals Bureau and the accused persons were arrested.
“Both 1st and 2nd accused persons admitted to the offenses when interrogated. The investigation is still ongoing,” the Prosecution said.
