Woman allegedly defrauds 26 applicants of GH¢675,000 in military recruitment scam

Patience Mbaye, a 41-year-old ward assistant, has appeared before an Accra court over an alleged recruitment scam involving the Ghana Armed Forces.

Mbaye is alleged to have collected GH¢675,000 from 26 people under the pretext of securing their recruitment into the GAF.

Inspector Frank Morgan Dorvi, prosecuting, told the court that Mbaye allegedly acted with Ex-Senior Warrant Officer Jeffery Naboung, who is currently at large. The prosecution said Naboung allegedly collected GH¢1,005,000 from 47 persons under the same pretext.

The two have been jointly charged with conspiracy to commit crime and three counts of defrauding by false pretences. Mbaye pleaded not guilty.

The court admitted her to 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.

The prosecution said the complainants were Fatima Adam and Abdul Malik Ali, a Prisons Officer and an okada rider, respectively. It said between 2023 and 2024, Ali met Mbaye, who allegedly told him she had links to facilitate the recruitment of interested persons into the GAF.

The prosecution said Ali later informed his sister, while Fatima also became interested after hearing about the alleged recruitment opportunity. It said Fatima contacted Mbaye by telephone to verify the authenticity of the arrangement.

The prosecution said Mbaye assured Fatima that she and Naboung had assisted several people to gain recruitment into the military. Mbaye, the prosecution alleged, directed Ali to pay GH¢25,000 into a bank account provided by Naboung.

Mbaye and Naboung allegedly collected GH¢675,000 and GH¢1,005,000, respectively, through their GCB Bank accounts from persons seeking recruitment into the GAF. The prosecution said the duo failed to secure the promised recruitment, and despite demands by the complainants, the monies were not refunded. The matter was subsequently reported to the Police for investigations.