By Daniel Bampoe
A 41-year-old ward assistant has been arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court over an alleged fraudulent recruitment scheme in which she and a former Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) officer are accused of collecting more than GH¢1.68 million from desperate job seekers under the false promise of securing military recruitment.
The accused, Patience Mbaye, pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit crime and three counts of defrauding by false pretences when she appeared before the court.
Her alleged accomplice, Ex-Senior Warrant Officer Jeffery Naboung, is currently on the run and has been declared wanted by investigators.
According to the prosecution, the two are alleged to have orchestrated a recruitment scam that targeted dozens of people seeking enlistment into the Ghana Armed Forces between 2023 and 2024.
Inspector Frank Morgan Dorvi, who led the prosecution, told the court that Mbaye allegedly collected GH¢675,000 from 26 victims, while Naboung allegedly received GH¢1,005,000 from 47 other individuals under the same recruitment scheme.
In total, the prosecution alleges that the two obtained GH¢1.68 million from 73 aspiring recruits by falsely claiming they could secure their enlistment into the military.
Despite the allegations, Mbaye denied all the charges brought against her.
The court subsequently admitted her to bail in the sum of GH¢100,000 with three justified sureties, one of whom must be a public servant.
As part of her bail conditions, she has also been directed to report to the case investigator every Wednesday and Friday until the conclusion of investigations.
The case has been adjourned to July 27, 2026.
According to the prosecution, the complainants in the case are Fatima Adam and Abdul Malik Ali, a Prisons Officer and an okada rider, respectively.
Investigators said the alleged fraud began when Abdul Malik Ali met Patience Mbaye, who allegedly informed him that she had influential connections capable of facilitating recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces.
Believing the representation, Ali reportedly informed his sister and other interested persons about the opportunity.
The prosecution further stated that Fatima Adam later contacted Mbaye by telephone to verify the authenticity of the recruitment arrangement.
During the conversation, Mbaye allegedly assured her that she and former Senior Warrant Officer Naboung had successfully assisted several applicants to gain entry into the Ghana Armed Forces.
According to the prosecution, Mbaye subsequently instructed Abdul Malik Ali to pay GH¢25,000 into a GCB Bank account allegedly provided by Naboung as part of the recruitment process.
Investigators allege that several other applicants also paid varying sums into GCB Bank accounts belonging to the accused persons after being promised guaranteed recruitment into the military.
However, after receiving the money, the prosecution said the accused persons allegedly failed to secure the promised enlistment for any of the applicants.
Repeated demands by the victims for refunds were also allegedly unsuccessful, prompting them to report the matter to the Police.
The prosecution said investigations revealed that the accused persons had received GH¢675,000 and GH¢1,005,000, respectively, through their bank accounts from individuals seeking military recruitment.
Police say efforts are ongoing to arrest Ex-Senior Warrant Officer Jeffery Naboung, while investigations into the alleged GH¢1.68 million recruitment fraud continue.
