Charges have been brought against a senior hall tutor and two students at the University of Ghana for their involvement in a major bed and room allocation scam. The defendants, Joseph Appiah, 25, Stephen Nimako Ansong, 24, and Dr. Kwadwo Owusu Ayeh, 58, faced an Accra Circuit Court on numerous counts of conspiracy and defrauding by false pretences.
Court documents indicate that Appiah and Ansong, both final-year students, along with Dr. Ayeh, the Senior Hall Tutor at Dr. Hilla Limann Hall, allegedly obtained GH₵106,800 from fellow students by promising to secure accommodation for them. The accused face joint charges of conspiracy and 32 counts of defrauding by false pretences. Moreover, Appiah and Nimako are charged with abetment of a criminal offence, specifically corruption involving a public officer, while Dr. Ayeh faces charges of corruption by a public officer.
The trio pleaded not guilty to all charges. Presiding Judge Mr Isaac Addo granted them bail set at GH₵100,000 each, with a surety. The court has mandated the prosecution to adhere to disclosure regulations and has scheduled the next hearing for 30 July 2024.
Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer, leading the prosecution, recounted that the case was brought to light by Professor Gordon Awandare, the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana. On October 17, 2023, Professor Awandare petitioned the Accra Regional Police Command to investigate allegations of ongoing bed-selling at Dr. Hilla Limann Hall.
Investigations revealed that 32 students were deceived into paying amounts ranging from GH₵2,000 to GH₵2,500 each to Appiah and Ansong, who promised them rooms and beds. The accused allegedly collected a total of GH₵106,800 through this scam. During the investigation, the implicated students admitted their involvement and revealed their collaboration with Dr. Ayeh.
Further findings showed that Dr. Ayeh, after taking office, conspired with Ansong to identify students in need of accommodation. Ansong then enlisted Appiah to find additional victims. The fraudulent scheme eventually fell apart, leading to their arrests. Ansong has since refunded GH₵30,000 of the illicit gains.
The University community is awaiting further developments as the case proceeds in court.