Accra, Aug. 13, GNA – An Accra Circuit Court has granted a retired Fire Officer GH¢350,000 bail over an alleged GH¢303,200 enlistment scam involving 60 applicants.
Thomas Dorkenu, 60, is alleged to have collected the money from the applicants on the pretext of securing their enlistment into the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) through protocol allocation.
Dorkenu, who appeared before the court for the second time, pleaded not guilty to a charge of defrauding by false pretences.
He was granted bail with two sureties and the case was adjourned to September 24, 2026.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Emmanuel Nyamekye, opposed the application for bail and asked the court for an additional two weeks to enable the Police to complete investigations.
The prosecution said investigations were at an advanced stage and that Dorkenu, having served in the GNFS for many years, knew that 60 protocol slots could not be allocated to one person.
The prosecutor also argued that Dorkenu was a flight risk, saying: “he is now staying in the Volta Region where he allegedly collected the amount involved.”
Defence Counsel, however, urged the court to grant bail, saying Dorkenu had been in Police custody since his arrest on July 28, 2026.
Counsel said Dorkenu was first put before the court on August 3, 2026, and remanded into lawful custody.
He described the facts presented by the prosecution as “fanciful and full of allegations” and disputed the assertion that Dorkenu lived at Ashongman Estates.
“It is not true that accused person resides in the Volta Region. He lives at Ashongman Estates. He just retired from the Ghana National Fire Service and he would not like to jeopardise his pension after serving Ghana well over the years.”
The prosecution said the complainant was the Chief Fire Officer of the GNFS, while Dorkenu resided at Ashongman Estates.
It said one of the alleged victims, Eyram Davordzi-Banini, a midwife resident in Akatsi, was approached by Dorkenu on February 9, 2026.
The prosecution said Dorkenu told Eyram that he had secured enlistment slots from the complainant and asked her to mobilise prospective applicants for recruitment into the GNFS.
The prosecution said Eyram mobilised 60 applicants and, on their behalf, paid GH¢303,200 to Dorkenu.
The amount was allegedly represented as the approved fee for protocol charges fixed by the complainant.
The prosecution said Dorkenu subsequently issued purported appointment letters to the applicants, directing them to report for training on July 23, 2026.
When the applicants reported at the GNFS Training School, however, they were informed that the appointment letters were fake.
The applicants subsequently went to the office of the Chief Fire Officer to complain, where it emerged that they had allegedly been defrauded.
The prosecution said Dorkenu was arrested by the complainant and handed over to the Police together with a Techno Spark C30 smartphone believed to have been used in the alleged offence.
It said a caution statement was obtained from Dorkenu in the presence of an independent witness, during which he admitted the offence and claimed that he was also a victim of a scam scheme allegedly involving a Telecel number.
The prosecution said the phone had been forwarded for digital forensic examination, while the Police were pursuing the user of the Telecel number.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Joyce Danso