A 40-year-old businessman, Nurudeen Abdul Ganew, as well as his brothers have been dragged before the Accra Circuit Court for allegedly pretending to be Professor Joshua Alabi, a top member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), in order to defraud a Council of State member.
Ganew faces charges of impersonation and defrauding by false pretences. He and his two brothers, Nurudeen Rashid and Nurudeen Gafaru, have also been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime. All three have pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mrs. Sedinam Awo Kwadam, granted them bail of GH¢150,000 with three sureties, one of which must be justified. The case is expected to continue on today July 21, 2025.
According to the prosecution, on March 3, 2025, Ganew posed as Prof. Joshua Alabi and tricked Mr. Hakeem Addae, a Council of State member and the NDC Chairman for Twifo-Atti Morkwa in the Central Region.
Claiming to be an official of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Ganew promised to help Mr. Addae secure a Toyota Land Cruiser and ten auctioned trucks. Mr. Addae believed him and transferred GH¢60,000.
After the fraud, security officials tracked Ganew down and arrested him at his home in Wa, in the Upper West Region. They found four identity cards, three pen drives, four mobile phones, and GH¢14,896 in cash during the operation.
Later, on July 2, 2025, Ganew’s brothers, Rashid and Gafaru, were arrested at Subinso, a suburb of Wenchi, by the National Signals Bureau. A search of their home revealed more than 12 mobile phones, 12 MTN SIM cards, a Telecel SIM card, and a database containing details of political party constituency executives across all 16 regions. Investigators believe this list was intended for future scams.
Further investigations showed that some of the SIM cards retrieved from the brothers were used by Ganew to talk to Mr. Addae and receive the money.
Prosecutors revealed that the three brothers formed a syndicate that specialized in impersonating well-known personalities, mostly politicians to defraud people. Their targets included chiefs, queen mothers, political figures, and businesses.
Ganew is believed to be the leader of the group. He made contact with the victims and convinced them, while his brothers were responsible for withdrawing the stolen money through mobile money vendors in Wa, Wenchi, Sunyani, Techiman, Koforidua, and Accra.
