Bench warrant against military officer over recruitment fraud revoked

An Accra Circuit Court on Wednes­day revoked a bench warrant issued for the arrest of a military officer allegedly involved in a GH¢136,000 recruit­ment scam.

This was after Captain Abel Nartey appeared before the court together with his lawyers.

Capt. Nartey‘s defence counsel plead­ed with the court to grant his client bail because they were made aware of the arrest warrant through a publication.

According to the defence counsel, Capt. Nartey appeared in court because he did not disregard the law, adding that the defendant would not interfere with police investigations when granted bail.

The defence attorney argued that Capt. Nartey was not a flight risk.

Following the defence counsel’s submis­sion, the court withdrew the bench warrant and granted Capt. Nartey to self-recogni­sance bail.

The court ordered Capt. Nartey to report to the Regional Criminal Investiga­tions Department for further investigation.

Presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah, the court, on July 5, 2024, issued a warrant for Capt. Nartey’s arrest.

This was after prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Wisdom Alorwu, informed the court that Capt. Nartey had been repeated­ly invited by the Regional Criminal Inves­tigations Department of the Ghana Police to assist in investigation but had declined.

The prosecution said that a wireless signal was transmitted to the Military Police and Army Headquarters demanding that Capt. Nartey be brought in for questioning, but no results were achieved.

On July 5, 2024, the prosecution updated the charge sheet and facts, and Clement Ayomah, who was on trial alongside Capt. Nartey, pled not guilty to counts of con­spiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretense.

Capt. Nartey has also pleaded not guilty to the same charges.

The prosecution’s case was that the com­plainant, George Ofori Amoako, is a trader residing in Darkuman.

It said Ayomah is a military officer sta­tioned at Burma Camp, while Capt. Nartey is stationed at the Training and Doctrine Command in Teshie.

The prosecution claimed that in 2021, one Vivian introduced Ayomah to the complainant as a military officer who had recruitment slots in the armed services.

It said the complainant expressed inter­est in the slots and contacted Ayomah for assistance.

Ayomah allegedly told the complainant that he and Capt. Nartey had many proto­col slots in the security services.

The court heard that Ayomah collected GH¢136,000 from the complainant and gave GH¢120,000 to Captain Nartey to en­list 12 people into the Ghana armed Forc­es, seven into the Ghana Police Service and three into the Ghana Immigration Service.

The prosecution said Ayomah kept the remaining amount.

However, after taking the money, Ayomah failed to fulfil his promise and began playing hide-and-seek with the complainant.

The prosecution said in March 2023, a report was made to the police and Ayomah was arrested.

In Ayomah’s caution statement, he admitted collecting money from the com­plainant and mentioned that some of the money was given to Capt. Nartey.

The prosecution said Ayomah had since refunded GH¢50,000.

—GNA