'Finder' Exposes Fake COP

A 42-year-old fraudster who parades as a policeman and dupes unsuspecting churches has been arrested by the Accra Regional Police. The suspect, Philip Hansen, has for some years now been moving from church to church ostensibly to provide security education to church members and later sells CDs, stickers and brochures purported to be from the Ghana Police Service at a fee of GH?5. He was arrested on Sunday, January 19, upon a tip-off by a Finder reporter who fellowships at the Faith Evangelical Mission Worldwide, Mataheko, in Accra. A full-scalp notebook he had on him as at the time of his arrest indicated names of churches he had visited and sold the CDs and stickers to since 2011, with his last place of visit in 2014 being the Osu Presbyterian Church of Ghana. On Sunday, January 12, Hansen, holding a handcuff, introduced himself as a police officer to the Faith Evangelical Mission Worldwide who was there to educate the congregation on security issues. When he was introduced as a Corporal, he quickly stated that the pastor had reduced his rank, but for the fact that he was in church, he would have arrested the pastor. Hansen went ahead to educate the church, explaining that the Ghana Police Service is being supported by an NGO called Men in Action for Women and Children (MANWO) to come up with a CD, stickers and brochures on security. He then sold the CD which went with a sticker for GH?5 and brochures for GH?3 and GH?2. The reporter, who suspected Mr Hanson not to be a police officer, reported to the Accra Regional Police Command to enquire whether such a thing was ongoing in the Ghana Police Service. The command denied knowledge of the said exercise. The police arranged with one of the pastors of the church to call Hansen to demand more of the CDs, which he brought on Sunday, January 19, leading to his arrest by the police, who had laid ambush around the church premises. Speaking to The Finder, Hansen stated that he was doing the education and crime prevention to alert people on how to protect themselves. He claimed the exercise was in response to findings of a research the NGO conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Women and Children�s Affairs and the Ghana Police Service. Asked about when the research was launched, he could only say several years ago. Hansen however stated that the Public Relations Directorate of the Ghana Police Service was in the know of his activities. Meanwhile, when contacted, DSP Cephas Arthur said Hansen had been to his office before to introduce himself as a security expert with an NGO who carries out personal security education. He said the police had not given him any authorisation to go about that education campaign but he went ahead and sold CDs and stickers, until he was arrested. A search in the suspect�s room at Tema Community 8 revealed that he prints the stickers and CDs in his room. Hansen had visited over 500 churches since 2011. Churches visited by the suspect in 2014 included Mary Mother Catholic Church, Church of Christ, Mataheko, Perez Chapel International, Mataheko, with the last in 2014 before his arrest being the Osu Presbyterian Church.