Man Remanded For Pretending To Be Prez Mahama's Sec.

An Accra Circuit Court on Monday remanded one Mohammed Ussif Kantoosi, 34, into police custody for falsely pretending to be a public officer, attempting to commit crime and defrauding by false pretence. Mohammed was said to have pretended to be a public officer by assuming to be Dr Raymond Atuguba, the Executive Secretary of the President, attempted to obtain the consent of one Georgina Opoku to part with some state items and defrauded one Ambassador Leslie Kojo Christian of GHc 14,000.00. The accused person, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, was remanded by the court to reappear on August 4, for hearing. Detective Chief Inspector Samuel Sarkwa told the court that the complainant is one Georgina Opoku, a fashion designer. He said on July 7, the accused got the phone number of the Eastern Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Sumaila, called him and presented himself to him as Dr Raymond Atuguba, the Executive Secretary of the President. He said Mohammed told the chairman that the President asked him (Dr Atuguba) to get 18 laptops, five iphones and three galaxy note 3 phones to be sent to Bole Bamboi in the Northern Region. The prosecution said the NDC chairman then gave the complainants number to the accused person to contact her for the items. Meanwhile, the chairman had called the complainant to inform her that Dr Atuguba would call her in connection with some items so she should expedite action. He told the court that Mohammed called the complainant and introduced himself as Dr Atuguba, and told her that the President needed some items to be sent to the Northern Region urgently. Detective Chief Inspector Sarkwa said the complainant organised and had all the items worth GH58, 000.00 ready and called the accused person to give her a written note to confirm the request for the items. He said Mohammed asked the complainant to meet him at the Flag Staff House on July 8 with the invoice of the items. When she got there the complainant called her and asked her that he was in a meeting and she should drop the invoice at the front desk. He told the court that Mohammed started calling the complainant and started offering her some job appointments. He mentioned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as a minister, which complainant rejected because she did not qualify, and later the harbour which again she rejected. The prosecution said at this point the complainant became alarmed and suspected foul play, therefore explained her ordeal to the authorities at the Flag Staff House after which the BNI was alerted. Detective Chief Inspector Sarkwa said the complainant later told the accused person that she had dispatched the items to Tamale by STC so he should send someone to pick them, and the accused also told her he had instructed the accountant to effect payment of the items to her by July 15. He told the court that on July 10, Mohammed sent his younger brother Mumuni Sumaila to pick the items at the STC yard, Tamale where he was arrested by BNI operatives and he led them to the accused person at Katariga in Tamale where he was arrested. He said in his cautioned statement, Mohammed admitted the offences. He said the accused person in a similar case last year used the same modus operandi and defrauded the Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Christian, of GHc 14,000.00. He said in this case he called the Chief Director and presented himself as the same Dr Atuguba and requested for money to pay for a car and that he would refund it later. The Chief Director sent the money to him per the account number provided by him and he admitted receiving the money.