Two individuals, Promise Ahorgah and Kwaotse Mawuli, have been apprehended and brought before the High Court in Accra on charges of impersonating North Tongu Member of Parliament (MP) Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to carry out fraudulent activities.
The accused, a phone repairer (Promise Ahorgah) and a building construction labourer (Kwaotse Mawuli), allegedly created fake social media accounts in the name of the North Tongu MP to deceive unsuspecting Ghanaians into contributing funds for supposed victims affected by the Akosombo and Kpong Dam Spillage.
Arrested in December, the duo face six provisional charges, including defrauding by false pretences, charlatanic advertisement, and falsely pretending to be a public officer.
The accused individuals appeared before the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo.
I wish to commend the Ministry of National Security and the National Signals Bureau for their prompt response to my complaint by tracking and apprehending two unscrupulous individuals who corrupted my disaster fundraising flyers and duped many unsuspecting Ghanaians.
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) December 15, 2023
The two… pic.twitter.com/vq8nJQZ2Nt
During the court proceedings on Friday, December 15, 2023, Watkins Adama, a State Attorney, requested the court to remand the accused persons into custody pending further investigations.
The Court granted the request, and the case was adjourned to January 9, 2024, for the plea of the accused to be taken.
Justice Osei Marfo directed the accused persons, who expressed their intention to engage the services of lawyers, to ensure their legal representation at the next hearing.