Michael Anumu Hope, a teacher at Assesewa Community D/A Primary School in the Eastern Region has been put before Koforidua Circuit Court B for allegedly defrauding under false pretense, 588 people including medical doctors, accountants, marketers, pharmacists, Lab technicians, teachers and engineers among many others to the tune of GH196,000.00.
He pleaded guilty to the offence. His lawyer pleaded with the court to grant the suspect bail as plans were far advanced to sell his property to defray the debts which was granted.
The suspect defrauded his victims under the pretense of recruiting them into the South African based medical practitioner; Dr. Knelah Zieu’s multi-million pharmaceutical company which he claimed was to be established across the country.
The suspect is reported to have convinced his victims that the multi-million investor and a medical practitioner based in South Africa has decided to make similar multi-million investment in Ghana and that he has been instructed to recruit workers for the project including professionals who will build the pharmaceutical edifices which will include schools and supermarkets across the country.
The suspect is reported to have once told his victims that a delegation from South Africa came to Ghana to meet the President, Chief of Staff, Mensah Otabil and bishop Duncan Williams all of whom endorsed the project.
He added that the Ministries of Education, Health and Foreign Affairs have given provisional license for the project to kick start.
He is reported to have told his victims that agreement has been reached with the Bank of Ghana for smooth transfer of huge monies to the country for the project.
The victims were convinced to pay for diplomatic passport fees, car registration fees, citizen fees, opening fees, Pension fess, researchers’ fees, Ebola fess, medical fees, children education policy fees and brochure fees among other fees.
He selected some of the victims as leaders to engage land owners at Teacher Mante, a community in the municipality for the start of the project.
The suspect after amassing enough wealth went into hiding and kept changing his mobile numbers to prevent the victims from reaching him.
Leaders of the victims reported the matter to the police and the suspect was subsequently arrested b the police.
Vincent Tandor, a teacher by profession who is a victim of the scam told the Daily heritage that teachers who are victims have petitioned the Upper Manya District Education director.
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