A 38-year-old woman has been convicted by the Assin Foso District Court for impersonating the Central North Regional Police Commander and fraudulently obtaining money from the father of a deceased police officer under false pretences.
The convict, Sarah Wilson, popularly known as Mame Esi and a resident of Nyankumase Ahenkuro, was found guilty of impersonation, stealing, and obtaining an electronic payment medium by false pretences after she admitted to the offences before the court.
Presiding over the case on June 1, 2026, His Worship Peter Anongdare Esq. convicted Wilson on her own plea of guilty and sentenced her to a fine of 90 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢1,080.
In default of payment, she would have served a six-month prison sentence.
In addition to the fine, the court ordered the convict to enter into a one-year bond of good behaviour.
Any breach of the bond conditions would result in an additional six-month custodial sentence.
Court records indicate that the fine has already been paid.
How the Fraud Was Uncovered
Presenting the facts of the case, prosecutor Inspector Matilda Osaah Buabeng told the court that the matter came to light after the father of the late Inspector Evans Krampah, who served with the Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Department (RMTTD) of the Central North Region, reported a suspected fraud scheme to the police.
According to the prosecution, the complainant received a telephone call from a woman who introduced herself as the Central North Regional Police Commander, DCOP Abraham Acquaye.
The caller allegedly informed the grieving father that an amount of GH¢2,000 was urgently needed to facilitate the processing of a burial certificate for his deceased son ahead of the funeral.
Trusting that the request had come from a senior police officer, the complainant electronically transferred the money as instructed.
However, his suspicions were aroused when the caller later contacted him again and demanded an additional GH¢2,000 for another purported official purpose related to the funeral arrangements.
Concerned by the new demand, the bereaved father reported the matter to the police for investigation.
Police Investigations
Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of Sarah Wilson, who police later identified as the girlfriend of the deceased officer.
Investigators discovered that the telephone numbers used to contact the complainant and facilitate the fraudulent transaction were registered in Wilson’s name.
During interrogation, she reportedly admitted her involvement in the scheme and confessed to deceiving the complainant.
Police further revealed that Wilson employed a voice-changing application known as “Magic Voice” to disguise her voice and make it sound like that of a man in an attempt to convince the victim that he was speaking with a senior police officer.
As part of the investigation, officers recovered GH¢2,000 believed to be proceeds from the fraudulent transaction.
Conviction and Sentencing
Following the completion of investigations, Wilson was formally charged and arraigned before the Assin Foso District Court.
She pleaded guilty to all charges brought against her, leading to her conviction and sentencing by the court.
The case has highlighted the growing use of technology in fraudulent schemes and serves as a reminder for the public to verify requests for money, particularly those made over the phone, even when they appear to come from authority figures or official institutions.
By 1960news.com
