Former ‘Regional Minister’ arrested in Goaso

Former ‘Regional Minister’ arrested in Goaso

- Dennis Ofosuhene posed as a former minister in a bid to retrieve a truck loaded with timber

- The Forestry Commission has retrieved several chainsaw machines from the suspect and his gang

Officials of the Ghana Police Service have arrested a 28-year-old man in Goaso in the Brong Ahafo Region after impersonating the region’s former Minister, Eric Opoku.

According to a 3news.com report, the suspect, Dennis Ofosuhene impersonated the former minister in an attempt to secure the release of a seized truckload of illegal lumber that had been seized by the Forestry Commission.

Report state a joint Police-Military team in an operation on April 16 this year, intercepted the loaded truck at Goaso and sent it to the District Forestry Office.

Former ‘Regional Minister’ arrested in Goaso
The suspect, Dennis Ofosuhene holds himself a former B/A minister (Photo credit: 3news.com)

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But the suspect was said to have placed a phone call to the District Forest Manager the next day claiming to be the former regional minister and further instructed that the truck be released to their owners.

The Forestry Manager, Godfred Quashigah, who became suspicious, played along and asked that the owners come to the District Forestry office for discussion and subsequent release of the truck.

Further reports state, Dennis Ofosuhene who was said to be behind the whole illegal lumbering in the area later showed up at Forestry Commission office on April 17 as the owner of the loaded truck.

Godfred Quashigah told TV3 news that he managed to track the right identity of the young man by using his phone.

“Around 4:15pm, a young gentleman entered my office and [that] he was here in connection with the arrested vehicle of which I was being spoken to by the alleged minister..."

“After our interrogation, I was able to identify his name as Dennis Ofosuhene and on my phone, also I managed to track his name which corresponded with what he mentioned to me as the former minister,” the Forestry boss said.

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The manager said he consequently invited his two deputies and the Police CID assigned to the Forestry Office and met the man again.

“Through questioning, he [Ofosuhene] then admitted he spoke to me the district manager and posed as the former NDC regional minister Eric Opoku,” Mr Quashigah said.

He said since it was a case of impersonation and deceiving public officer Ofosuhene quickly arrested and handed over to the Police for investigations for possible prosecution.

According to the District Forest Manager, the practice of people intervening for intercepted illegal timber products to be released in the area was rampant.

“As soon as you arrest someone then you receive a call indicating that the person is either a politician, a chief or someone from the jubilee house,” he lamented.

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