The three— Prince Adams Senahia, 20, Olongo Philip, 19, and minor aged 17—were arrested following complaints lodged by the Commission to the Police to investigate the recruitment scam.

Mrs Joyce Kwafo Ofori, Corporate Affairs and Media Relations Manager of the Forestry Commission, said the three suspects were using the name of Mr Oppon Sasu, Executive Director of the Forestry Services Division, to perpetrate fraud on their victims with the promise of assisting them secure jobs at the Commission.
She said the unsuspecting victims were asked to pay various sums of monies via mobile money and given dates to attend interview at the Commission only to learn to their shock that there were no such scheduled appointments.

However, she said, the Commission was unable to tell how many people had fallen victim to the fraudsters and how much money was collected from them.

Mrs Kwafo said the increasing spate of the scam forced the Forestry Commission's management to place adverts in the media urging the public to be wary of such fraudsters.

She said the Commission under no circumstances would take money from job seekers before they attend interviews, adding that employment at the Commission was purely based on qualification and merit.

She said luck run out for the three last Thursday when they were arrested by the Police and arraigned at the Amasaman Circuit Court, where they were charged with impersonation and defrauding by false pretense and the case was adjourned to May 23.

Mrs Kwafo said the Forestry Commission has faith in the court system and knows that no matter how long it takes justice would be served.
She urged the public to report such incidences of people asking them for money for jobs at the Commission to report to the police for action to be taken against the individuals engaged in the perpetration of the fraud.