Two Dealing in Fake Cards Arrested

Story: Lucy Adoma Yeboah December 15-12-2007
THE Accra Central Police have in their custody, two suspects who were alleged to have issued fake Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Brown Cards to unsuspecting clients.
The two — Francis Mensah, 30, who is believed to operate illegally (Goro Boy) at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), and Seth Attah Frimpong, 24, an assistant to a car dealer in Accra — were arrested last Tuesday after a tip-off.
A third suspect, who is known only as WO and believed to be the brain behind the deal, is currently on the run.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra on Thursday, the Nima Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police Angwubutoge Awuni, said the suspects had in their possession a fake Star Assurance Company official stamp and four booklets of ECOWAS Brown Cards during their arrest.
ECOWAS Brown Card is a special vehicle insurance card for people in the ECOWAS member countries which enable possessors to drive from one country to another without any hindrance.
Mr Awuni said unsuspecting clients were made to pay GH¢80 (¢800,000) instead of the stipulated GH¢120 (¢1.2 million) for each fake card.
The Chief Superintendent said when one of such cards was shown to officials of the Star Assurance Company as part of the investigation, both the stamp and a signature on it were found to be fake.
He stated that when the police visited a shop allegedly owned by WO, the suspect on the run, it was locked and the owner was nowhere to be found.
Mr Awuni stressed that an initial investigations into the matter had revealed that the group belonged to a syndicate and gave the assurance that the police was doing all it could to arrest the rest of the members. He, therefore, appealed to the public to assist in this regard.
He pointed out that investigations were ongoing and the suspects would be sent to court in the next few days.