A self-styled police officer who duped seven people of a total of GH�2,240 was on Monday sentenced to five years imprisonment by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) circuit court.
The court presided over by Mr James Adjei Frimpong ordered him to pay back the money after serving the jail term.
Samuel Akuoko Sarpong pleaded not guilty.
The court heard from Police Chief Inspector Nana Adwoa Affanyi that the convict, a trader, introduced himself to his victims as a policeman with the Criminal Investigations Department stationed at Manhyia.
He boasted that he could secure for some of them admission into both the Nurses Training College and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology through protocol arrangements.
He promised to get others to be recruited into the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces.
Chief Inspector Affanyi said the victims who took him for his word parted with various sums of money on demand to facilitate their admission and recruitment.
He also took from them school certificates.
She said Sarpong told them that the deal would be through within a week and gave the assurance that he would call to inform them of the date they should present themselves for interview.
He could, however, not be traced after the deadline but run out of luck on August 10 when he was fished out at the Menka Hotel where he was hiding.
Police Chief Inspector Afanyi said the convict confessed to the crime during police interrogation.
Sarpong had promised to refund the money and was given time by the Court at an earlier sitting but failed to redeem his promise.
The convict, who is standing trial in another fraud case, is to re-appear on October 8.
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