<<Print>>

A Tamale District Magistrate Court presided over by Augustine Essah, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a self-styled computer engineer, Benjamin Kpakpo Allotey, for allegedly defrauding several people within the Tamale Metropolis of the Northern Region. The suspect, who has gone into hiding after an official complaint was lodged with the police by the residents following his alleged nefarious activities in the city, is believed to have bolted with several thousands of Ghana Cedis. Several of his victims claim he goes round posing as a Computer Engineer and a business consultant who had been behind the successes of a number of businesses in the city. A complainant in the case, Tama Konlan � student of the University of Education Kumasi Campus � said that he met the accused in June 2011 through a close relation. After a series of discussions � in view of the impression created that he was a computer expert � Tama Konlan decided to establish a computer business in Tamale and discussed with the accused person the possibility of making him his (Konlan�s) sales representative. The accused agreed and presented a budget required for a takeoff of the business he (accused) claimed was highly lucrative and its turnover enticing. Mr. Kolan, convinced by the assurance of his would-be business partner, said he contracted a GH�4,700 loan from Bayport Financial Service � a local Savings and Loans Company � and allegedly gave same to the accused person to buy him a number of computers and accessories. The accused, after taking delivery of the cash, Kolan told this paper, claimed to have set off for Accra to procure the items and bolted afterwards; and his whereabouts till date is not known. An official complaint was lodged with the police and the accused person was contacted on his cell phone severally to come and assist the police in investigating the matter. He promised to comply but failed, resulting in the issuance of a bench warrant for his arrest. The bench warrant was also necessitated by the fact that several others had showed up to complain of being duped with the same modus operandi. The police have therefore appealed to the general public to assist in arresting the suspect who they said might be hiding in Accra and its environs.