14 busted in police recruitment scam-IGP

Hundreds of wannabe police officers were turned away for possessing fake recruitment letters.
About fourteen (14) persons have been arrested by the police in connection with this weekend's fraudulent police recruitment exercise.

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Alhassan made the disclosure when he and his team appeared before Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee on Tuesday.
Hundreds of people issued with fake recruitment letters by some fraudsters were stranded at various police training depots in the country over the weekend. They claimed they received letters directing them to report at the training school.

Some of the victims who turned up at the Police Training Depot in Kumasi with their enlistment letters for training were turned away by the authorities.
A shea butter trader, Aisha Asumda has been identified by the police as the brain behind the botched nationwide recruitment exercise.

Today’s meeting between the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Interior and the police hierarchy was held behind closed doors.
However, a member of the Committee, Major Derrick Oduro (rtd), told Joy News’ Elton Brobbey the police administration informed the committee that the 14 are assisting the police in their investigation.

“They came and gave us thorough briefing. I think that we are satisfied with the briefing that the IGP and his staff officers came and presented to us.
“14 people have been arrested. Our hope is that some people have been arrested and they have not gotten away with what they did. A greater amount of money has been collected from the people: if you are SSS graduate you pay 5,000 and university graduates pay 7,000.”

Major Oduro disclosed that the accounts of the suspects have been frozen and monies found on them at the time of arrested were also seized.
He would not comment whether those arrested include police personnel, but noted that some wards of police officers are among victims of the recruitment fraud.

Meanwhile, Director General of Police Human Resource and Administration, COP Patrick Timbilla says persons currently in possession of the police recruitment letters will be treated as suspects to deter others from falling victim to similar fraud.