Mr Kojo Sakyi, a 53-year-old man, was on Monday arrested by the Western Regional Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) for engaging in a recruitment scam, involving GH₵5,000.00.
The suspect has since been referred to the national headquarters of the GIS for further investigations.
A statement signed by the Western Region Public Affairs Officer of the GIS, Assistant Inspector Moses Manford Akakpo, and copied the Ghanaian Times, said Sakyi was arrested at the AGIP filling station, near the Takoradi Jubilee Park.
It said the suspect had lured one of the victims to the said location, with the intension of collecting GH₵5,000.00 from him, after the victim had forwarded his certificates and other relevant documents to his (Sakyi) WhatsApp number MTN-0540520459.
The GIS said the suspect in a caution statement, admitted the offence of defrauding a number of unsuspecting youth.
Further investigations proved that Sakyi charged GH₵5,000 for cadets officers and GH₵3,500.00 for recruits, the GIS statement explained.
It referred to the GIS publication, dated October 25, 2019, in which the GIS cautioned the public against such criminals, and asked for information that could lead to the arrest of suspects.
The statement said, “The GIS, has since last year, been meticulously on the heels of these miscreants since the story broke out on social media.”
The GIS mentioned that it was currently not recruiting personnel, and urged the public to disregard social media platforms and publications.
It also advised the public to use its traditional mediums through which advertisement for recruitments are communicated to the public, including news papers and the Ghana Immigration Service website (www.gis.gov.gh).
The statement stated: “The command, is by this release re-echoing, for the information of the general public that, GIS does not have assigned agents, social media platforms or mobile money accounts through which such recruitments are made.
“The general public, is therefore being encouraged to continually, be on the lookout for such criminal elements within our society and report their conduct to the appropriate quarters (GIS/POLICE) for immediate arrest and prosecution.”
It said, “We further urge all those who may have received such recruitment messages or fallen victims to such unscrupulous schemes to assist with investigations by providing credible information to our offices dotted across the country.”
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, SEKONDI