A 41-year-old ward assistant has been granted bail after appearing before an Accra court over an alleged scheme to defraud dozens of job seekers with promises of recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
Patience Mbaye is accused of collecting GH¢675,000 from 26 people who were allegedly promised assistance to join the military.
She is alleged to have acted together with an ex-Senior Warrant Officer, Jeffery Naboung, who is currently at large and is accused of collecting an additional GH¢1,005,000 from 47 prospective recruits.
The two have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime and three counts of defrauding by false pretences.
Mbaye pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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 directed to report to the case investigator every Wednesday and Friday.
The case has been adjourned to July 27, 2026.
According to the prosecution, the case came to light after one of the complainants, Abdul Malik Ali, an okada rider, allegedly met Mbaye between 2023 and 2024.
Mbaye is said to have told him that she had connections capable of facilitating the recruitment of interested persons into the Ghana Armed Forces.
Ali subsequently informed his sister, Fatima Adam, a Prisons Officer, who also became interested in the alleged recruitment opportunity.
The prosecution said Fatima later contacted Mbaye by telephone to verify the arrangement.
Mbaye allegedly assured her that she and Naboung had previously assisted several people to secure recruitment into the military.
The prosecution further alleged that Mbaye directed Ali to pay GH¢25,000 into a bank account provided by Naboung.
Investigations, according to the prosecution, later revealed that the accused persons received money through their respective GCB Bank accounts from several individuals seeking recruitment into the GAF.
However, the promised recruitment did not materialise, and the prosecution said the accused persons failed to refund the money despite repeated demands from the complainants.
The matter was subsequently reported to the Police, leading to investigations and the prosecution of Mbaye, while efforts continue to locate Naboung.
