The Documentation and Visa Fraud Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Police Service has apprehended a 41-year-old man for allegedly defrauding a businessman of $25,000.
The suspect, David Appiah, is said to have collected the money under the pretext of supplying the businessman with a herbal product that is alleged to be in high demand in the United States.
After collecting the money, Appiah allegedly presented to the victim a powdered substance which later turned out to be ground dried leaves which has no value.
Appiah was in the process of defrauding another victim of $7,500 using the same modus operandi when the police accosted him.
The second victim, unknown to the suspect, was the first victim’s son.
Telephone call
The Director in charge of the Documentation and Visa Fraud Unit, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Seth Sewornu, confirming the case in an interview yesterday, said the complainant received a telephone call from an unknown person who introduced himself as Enoch, an old friend.
The caller, he explained, introduced himself as a businessman who needed to secure a pharmaceutical product called ‘sinapi' for a US-based pharmaceutical company.
Mr Sewornu said Appiah told the complainant that he needed him to be the local supplier.
Appiah also claimed that the US-based company had a financial controller who worked with the United States Embassy in Accra and was prepared to receive the product and pay a higher price for it.
Appiah is said to have asked the victim to contact one Nana Arhin, who was into the sale of the said Sinapi product, for supplies.
Dried leaves
Mr Sewornu said on May 29, 2016, a man who introduced himself only as Owusu called and met the victim with 66 packets of compressed leaves which he claimed was the sinapi product and collected $25,000 from the victim.
The product later turned out to be a valueless substance and all attempts by the victim to get the complainant by phone thereafter proved futile.
On August 16, 2016, Mr Sewornu said, the complainant’s son received a telephone call, during which the caller proposed to supply him with a similar sinapi product at $7,500.
The young man (name withheld), knowing what had happened to his dad, feigned interest and agreed to meet the supplier.
Appiah was subsequently arrested by the police while in the process of collecting money from the second victim, after Appiah had presented the victim with the dried leaves.
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