Private investigator grabbed over fraud, possessing police attire

A 38-year-old private investigator has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly possessing Ghana Police Service operational wear and two operational black police shirts.

Israel Afram Benson is said to have also defrauded a woman of GHS5,000 under the pretext of assisting her to retrieve her husband’s property documents and a document of C-300 Mercedes Benz but failed.

The court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah has admitted Benson to bail in the sum of GHS150,000 with two sureties to be justified with immovable or movable property worth the bail sum.

Accused person is expected to reappear before the court on December 21, this year.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Benson Benneh said the complainant, Comfort Diame, was unemployed and residing at AyiKumah, while her husband was domiciled in Israel.

Chief Inspector Benneh said Benson claimed to be a private investigator residing at Dome Pillar 2, Accra.

The prosecutor said sometime in September 2022, the complainant’s husband informed her that his younger brother, known as Dickson Diame, whom he had given his property documents for safekeeping, wanted to sell one of his estates and a Mercedes Benz.

He said the complainant was informed to also see one Chief Inspector Akakpo, a witness in the case, to collect the documents from Diame.

The prosecutor said the complainant met Chief Inspector Akakpo and introduced Benson, then in plain clothes, as a Chief inspector at the CID headquarters to help retrieve the documents.

He said Benson managed to convince the complainant to give him GHc5,000 to assist the complainant in retrieving the documents.

The prosecutor said as soon as Benson collected the money, he started playing hide-and-seek with the complainant, as neither the complainant nor Chief Inspector Akakpo could reach him on his phone.

Chief Inspector Benneh said a report was made to the Police Professional Standard Bureau at the Police Headquarters and while the case was under investigation, Benson called Chief Inspector Akakpo, explaining that due to his schedule as a Staff officer at the RegionalPolice Command, he had been unable to meet them.

The prosecutor said Chief Inspector Akakpo became suspicious and filed an official complaint at the Regional CID, Accra.