A 41-year-old ward assistant, Patience Mbaye, has appeared before an Accra court over her alleged involvement in a fake Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) recruitment scheme that reportedly defrauded dozens of people seeking military enlistment.
Mbaye is accused of collecting GH¢675,000 from 26 individuals after allegedly promising to secure their recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces.
According to the prosecution, she is alleged to have acted together with Ex-Senior Warrant Officer Jeffery Naboung, who remains at large. Naboung is also accused of collecting an additional GH¢1,005,000 from 47 other victims under the same recruitment arrangement.
The two have been jointly charged with conspiracy to commit crime and three counts of defrauding by false pretences.
Mbaye pleaded not guilty to the charges when she appeared before the court.
The court granted her bail in the sum of GH¢100,000 with three justified sureties, one of whom must be a public servant. She was also ordered to report to the case investigator every Wednesday and Friday.
The case has been adjourned to July 27, 2026.
According to Inspector Frank Morgan Dorvi, who is prosecuting the case, the complainants are Fatima Adam, a Prisons Officer, and Abdul Malik Ali, an okada rider.
The prosecution told the court that between 2023 and 2024, Ali met Mbaye, who allegedly claimed she had the necessary connections to facilitate recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces.
Ali later informed his sister about the opportunity, while Fatima also became interested after hearing about the alleged recruitment exercise. She reportedly contacted Mbaye to verify the claims before proceeding.
The prosecution alleged that Mbaye assured Fatima that she and Naboung had successfully helped several people gain admission into the military.
Ali was subsequently instructed to pay GH¢25,000 into a bank account allegedly provided by Naboung.
Investigators say Mbaye and Naboung later received GH¢675,000 and GH¢1,005,000, respectively, through their GCB Bank accounts from applicants hoping to join the Ghana Armed Forces.
However, the promised recruitment never materialised, and despite repeated demands, the victims were allegedly not refunded.
The matter was eventually reported to the police, leading to investigations and the prosecution of Mbaye, while efforts continue to locate and arrest Naboung.
SOURCE: GNA
