A QUACK medical officer, who reportedly bonked several women who fell into his snare after taking huge sums of money from them under the pretext of getting them admitted to nursing training colleges and universities, has found himself in the grip of the law.
Benjamin Goode, 27, unemployed posed as a Medical Doctor at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi using Dr. Ato or Dr. Benedict Mensah as his official name.
He was arrested and charged by the Suntreso District Police Command for impersonation.
The suspect, a native of Jacobu, a community in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region, defrauded his victims, mostly women, of various sums of money ranging from GH¢1000 to GH¢3600.
Briefing DAILY GUIDE, the District Crime Officer at the Suntreso police station, DSP Nana Nkwantabisa, said the suspect allegedly impregnated some of the women in the process.
The suspect deceived the victims into thinking that he was a surgeon at the KATH and that he could assist them to gain admissions to nursing training schools and universities of their choice.
According to DSP Nana Nkwantabisa, the suspect also managed to swindle a Pastor (name withheld) of GH¢3600.00 under the pretext of assisting his daughter to gain admission to the University of Cape Coast.
He said Benjamin had been on the wanted list of the Suntreso District Police command in connection with a case in which he allegedly defrauded one Gregory Boateng of GH¢4800.00 to rent him a two bedroom apartment.
On July 30, 2012, at about noon, the suspect was spotted with a potential victim at the Adum branch of the Cal Bank.
He was arrested and taken to the Suntreso police station and a thorough search conducted in his house revealed a booklet of X- ray request form belonging to the Ministry of Health, two stethoscope, two surgeon dresses and one white gown.
Meanwhile, a Kumasi Circuit Court, presided over by DWP Armediour, has remanded Benjamin in prison custody in the matter involving Gregory Boateng. He is to reappear on August 20, 2013.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge of defrauding by false pretences contrary to section 131 of Act 29/60 as amended by paragraph 5 of NLCD 398.
Presenting the facts of the case to the court, police Chief Inspector Sylvanus D’almeida said on February 2013 the complainant, a trader at Ahafo Nsuta, was seeking a two bedroom apartment to rent and consequently informed an agent who led him to the suspect.
The suspect offered to vacate his apartment and rent it out to the complainant, insisting he had discussed the deal with the landlord.
The complainant showed interest in the apartment and after a short while paid part of the two-year rent advance to the suspect who promised to vacate the house.
The suspect did not vacate the house while the complainant later realised that the suspect had collected money from another person. He then lodged a complaint with the Suntreso District Police station.