A former member of the Police Council, Rev Prof.Richard Lartey Lawson and two others are being probed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID)for allegedly defrauding 52 people to the tune of GH¢73,000.
Rev Prof Lawson, 77, Azumah Dodzi,an Immigration officer and General Lance Corporal Simon Kofi Dorveh of the Kaneshie Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) were reported to have taken the money from their victims to enlist them into the Ghana Police Service and Immigration but failed to do so.
Rev Lawson, also a national executive member of the National Democratic Congress last Friday in the company of his counsel, Victor Kojogah Adawudu responded to an invitation from the CID following the alleged fraud against him.
His statement was taken and he had since been charged provisionally with defrauding by false pretences contrary to section 131 of the Criminal Offences Act 29/60.
Prof Lawson was granted bail and expected to report to the CID today to assist in further investigations.
His two other accomplices are to report to the CID soon to answer a case of abetment of crime.
A police source disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday stating that the victims are students and job seekers who paid GH¢3,000 each for the enlistment.
According to the source, two weeks ago one Bright Buabeng, a victim on behalf of the others petitioned the CID that Prof Lawson had collected their money to enlist them into the Police Service but to no avail.
The source said based on that, Prof Lawson was invited for questioning while his accomplices are yet to report.
The police source said out of the 52 victims, seven have reported to the police.
The source revealed that in 2014,Azumah Dodzi met Prof Lawson at the Immigration office at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and in their conversation he (Prof) disclosed to Dodzi that he was a member of the Police Council and could facilitate the enlistment of people.
“He told the Immigration Officer that he had been given a quota for enlistment of persons and that could assist in their enlistment,” the source said.
According to the source, based on that information Dodzi informed the petitioner (Buabeng)who had then gotten administration into a university to rescind.
The source said Buabeng later informed one Mama Kate who also informed her church members.
The police source said interested people paid money into the account of Lance Corporal Simon Kofi Dorveh which was said to have been given to them by Prof Lawson.
The source said the case was still under investigations.
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