Police arrest man who allegedly defrauded medical doctor

The police in the Northern Region have arrested a man who allegedly defrauded a medical doctor at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) of GH¢160,000 on the pretext of getting him promoted in a government institution.

The suspect, Abubakari Musah, was arrested in Tamale last Saturday and would be put before the Tamale Circuit Court today for defrauding by false pretence.

Musah was declared wanted by the police following a warrant for his arrest issued by the Circuit Court in Tamale in February.

The Northern Regional Crime Officer, Superintendent Mr Kwabena Otuo Acheampong, who confirmed the arrest of Musah to the Daily Graphic, said the suspect would be put before the Tamale Circuit Court.

The Daily Graphic, in its February 29, 2020 edition, published a story with the headline: "Medical doctor duped GH¢160,000 over promotion."

The story read: "A medical doctor with the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) has reportedly been defrauded of GH¢160,000 by a man on the pretext of getting him promoted in a government institution."

It said the doctor (name withheld) was hoping to become the next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the TTH and trusted one Abubakari Musah, a friend who reportedly had links, to get him promoted; and, thus, managed to get him to part with the money but the promotion did not happen and Musah was nowhere to be found.

Realising that he had been duped, the doctor lodged a complaint with the police who had begun a hunt for Musah.

Bench warrant

The police, after months of fruitless search for Musah, secured a bench warrant from the Tamale Circuit Court for his arrest.

According to the police, the warrant for Musah’s arrest was in respect of a case of defrauding by false pretence.

The police, thus, appealed to the general public to assist in apprehening the accused person who was believed to be hiding in Tamale or Accra.

While the regional crime officer would not give details of the case, he said arresting the accused person would enable the police to put him before the court to answer the charge of defrauding by false pretence brought against him by the complainant whose identity he only gave as a medical doctor with the TTH.

Checks

Checks by the Daily Graphic indicated that the complainant in the case was indeed a medical doctor at the TTH, while Musah was formerly with the National Security. He was, however, dismissed for allegedly engaging in fraudulent activities.

It was revealed that Musah was alleged to have contacted the medical doctor that he could help facilitate his appointment as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the TTH.

The source said the accused, during his encounter with the complainant, told him that he had links within the government and could, therefore, help him secure the position of CEO.

Based on that, the doctor was alleged to have started parting with various sums of monies amounting to GH¢160,000 in his bid to secure the position of CEO.

After some time when the complainant realised that he had made no headway in getting the promotion or his money back, he became suspicious and lodged a complaint with the police.

Musah, by then, had also gone into hiding.