Asantehene fraudster arrested in Kumasi

The Zongo Police in Kumasi have arrested a man who used the name of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, to defraud innocent people.
Part of his strategy was to convince his victims to part with huge sums of money with the confidence that he had the Asantehene’s backing.
The fraudster, Nana Kwadwo Aoah Ampe Okogyeabour, claims be the director of a company called Fighting Against Corruption for Ashanti Chiefs. He was using as many as five different mobile phone numbers, one of which served as a hotline allegedly reserved for receiving emergency calls from the Otumfuo only.
At the time of his arrest, the fraudster had gone to the Abinkyi Market where he tried to deceive a group of Frafra traders to part with huge sums of money and a fat cow.
Allegations
Zongo Divisional Police Commander, Supt Samuel Adane-Ameyaw, said the suspect claimed to be invested with the custody of the lands from Railways to Abinkyi Market and had been issuing eviction threats to all tenants on the land.
He said when news about his arrest went round, one Ishmaila Seidu, a businessman in Alabar, told the police that in November 2014, Nana Okogyeabour, a native of Ahenema Kokoben, collected an amount of $4,450 from him to be given to the Asantehene as the latter needed the foreign exchange for a trip outside of Ghana.
According to him, the suspect was to return with the cedi equivalent of the said money but never did.

However, he said the suspect denied ever collecting any money from Seidu.
Supt Adane-Ameyaw said the suspect told the police that though he was a royal, he was not a direct brother of the Asantehene but a cousin. The suspect is currently in police custody while investigations continue.