Fake Doctor Jailed

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation and Motor court, presided over by His Worship, Mr. Emmanuel Nana Antwi-Barima, has sentenced a fake medical Doctor, Nana Kofi Boakye alias Dr. Owusu Batistuta to pay a fine of GH�7,200.00 or, in default, go to jail for 36 months. Nana Kofi Boakye falsely claimed to be a Medical Doctor, and succeeded in defrauding many people of various sums of money. The convict was charged with impersonation and defrauding by false pretences contrary to section 131 of Act 29/60 of the criminal code. He pleaded not guilty to the charges but at the end of the trial both prosecution and complainants in the case proved him guilty hence his conviction by the court. According to the prosecutor of the case, Inspector Hanson Armah, the convict is an accredited phone dealer at Kwashieman in Accra who suddenly turned a Medical Doctor with office designation that is non-existent at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the premier hospital of the country. On April 29, 2013, the Prosecutor said Nana Kofi Boakye made false representation with intent to deceive one Charity Karikari, Lydia Owusu, Elizabeth Akuamoah and Barbara Owusu, by claiming he is a Medical Doctor by name Dr. Batistuta Owusu at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. The Prosecutor noted that the convict at the time of making the statement knew well that it was false and deceived Charity Karikari to part with GH�2,800, under false representation that he can secure her admission into Nursing Training Institute. Furthermore, the Prosecutor told the court that the convict took GH�1,300.00 from the same Charity to get her admission into the nursing school. Using the same trick, the convict managed to extort GH�5,200.00, $2,500 and GH�800.00 on separate occasions from Elizabeth Akuamoah and one Barabara Owusu to support them to get VISA to travel to USA, but it never materialized. The convict also received GH�4,800 from unsuspecting victims for a contract he could not fulfill. The Judge said criminal charges resonated loud and clear in open court by the Prosecutor but the convict pleaded not guilty so the court undertook a full-scale criminal hearing. He said the criminal hearing was mentioned in open court for six consecutive times without the accused being represented by a counsel. On May 13, 2013 the police finally arrested Nana Kofi Boakye after he had dodged them for a long time. The prosecutor presented evidences in court to prove that �Dr.� Batristuta is not a Medical Doctor hence the charge of impersonation. Inspector Armah also proved that the accused lacked the capabilities of being a Medical Doctor. The charge of defrauding by false pretences was also proved by the testimony from victims that the convict collected money from them without fulfilling the contract that they entered into. According to the court, following the overwhelming evidence against the convict by both the prosecutor and the complainants, both criminal charges and connotations have succeeded. The Judge, Nana Antwi-Barima, also noted that, �Since the [accused], did not dispute the various evidence adduced in court by the prosecution from the brief facts and the evidence adduced by PW1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in court; the court took serious judicial notice that the accused could not cross-examine the complainants evidence.� According to Nana Antwi-Barima, exhibits in open court simply expose the fraud in the accused person�s actions and this legally transacted the guilt around the accused. He said in the circumstances above, the intent to impersonate and defraud the complainants can be easily inferred since there is no indication from the facts that the convict is an accredited medical Doctor, at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, since he could not send an S.O.S message to his Head of Department for his image to be salvaged as solidarity is normally registered as a team work in all human institutions in the country. The Judge therefore proclaimed, �I find the charge proved against the accused� the accused is sentenced to 300 penalty units, one on each count in default 36 months in jail in hard labor on each count.� He noted that the sentences are to run consecutively and also ordered the convict to, �pay back the various sums of monies he fraudulently collected from the complainants as each person amount stands, I so order.�