<<Print>>

The Ghana Police Service have arrested a journalist; Timothy Antwi-Otoo (Atinka FM), and three others for allegedly extorting GHC300,000 from the management of the Peace and Love Hospital at Oduom, in Kumasi.

The three are Prince Kwarteng, a musician at Tabora, Accra, Mike Osie Bobie Kese, records officer and videographer at the hospital and Awuni Azure, also known as Kwame Isaac, a musician at Agona Bobikuma.

Marcus Kofi Otabil, who is also a journalist with Rainbow FM is on the run.

Briefing newsmen, the Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ampofo Duku, indicated that the suspects conspired to blackmail the hospital.

He said in 2014, Bobie Kese informed the other suspects that the hospital’s branch in Accra was not accredited to the National Health Insurance Scheme, but operated fraudulently under the scheme.

Consequently, the police said, all the suspects agreed to defraud the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, Dr. (Mrs) Beatrice Wiafe Addai.

According to the police, the suspects conspired that Bobie Kese should steal some of the patients’ private and confidential folders from the hospital, and use same as basis to demand GH¢300,000 from her.

Bobie Kese managed to steal 27 folders and handed them to Kwarteng who in turn handed them over to Otabil.

Otabil called the CEO on phone, threatening to leak out the information by publishing the alleged damaging information that the hospital was operating fraudulently under the NHIS.

The police said Otabil gave Otoo’s bank account at the Universal Merchant Bnak, Adabraka branch, to the CEO to deposit GH¢300,000 into it.

After several demands, the suspects opted for cash settlement and agreed to meet her at Assin Manso in the Central Region, in exchange for the stolen folders.

Dr. Wiafe Addai then reported the matter to the Zongo police in Kumasi upon whose advice the CEO told the suspects to meet her at Assin Manso for the GH¢300,000 to settle the case once-and-for-all.

The police, who accompanied the hospital’s accountant to Assin Manso, arrested Mike Osei Bobie Kesse and Awuni Azure immediately they received a bag containing the cash.

Upon a search, the police found on them 27 folders, after which they led the law enforcement agents to arrest two other suspects in the case.