‘Man of God’ in police grips for scamming 4,000 people

A self-acclaimed Man of God at the centre of a multi-faceted scam that has rocked the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis has been arrested by police.

Scores of alleged victims of Apostle Joel Amenu rushed to the police station o lodge complaints against him when news broke that he has been arrested.

Apostle Amenu is alleged to have defrauded hundreds of people and institutions in the metropolis of money said to be in the hundreds of thousands of cedis on the pretext of giving them soft loans for their businesses and opportunities to acquire vehicles on hire purchase.

He is also said to have promised to offer scholarships to the children and wards of some of his victims.

The police said he was being held for operating a fraudulent scholarship and micro finance scheme and issuing dud cheques to some of the victims.

Most of his victims are market women, artisans at Kokompe, parents and hotel operators.

The suspect, who also operated the NGO known as Mary Ekem Foundation with his girlfriend, one Lady Mary Ekem, is also alleged to have used the names of former President John Mahama and President Nana Akufo-Addo to enhance the credibility of the foundation.

Some of the victims claimed GH¢150 each from a number of parents as scholarship processing fees.

Takoradi District Police Commander, Peter Ofori Donkor, told the Daily Graphic newspaper that the suspect was currently in the custody of police, while more victims were lodging complaints at the police station.

[This story is published in the July 20, 2017 edition of the Daily Graphic newspaper]