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Two arrested for faking road-worthy certificate

Two suspects have been arrested for printing and supply of fake Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) road worthy certificates.

Patrick Halamgbala and Kwesi Emmanuel

Two men believed to be behind the printing and supply of fake Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) road worthy certificates have been arrested at the DVLA office at Weija, near Accra.

The two suspects, Patrick Halamgbala (30) and Kwesi Emmanuel (21), are said to be ‘goro boys’ who have been working from the Weija DVLA office for many years.

They are said to have been demanding GH¢60 for each DVLA sticker. It is suspected that hundreds of vehicle owners might have fallen victim to the activities of the “goro boys”.

After laying surveillance on their operations, police operatives from the Osu District Police Command arrested Kwesi Emmanuel who led them to his pay master, Halamgbala, at the Weija DVLA office.

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The police retrieved 13 blank DVLA biometric stickers, one DVLA completed biometric sticker, three DVLA receipts,  seven stamps and 19 road worthy certificate booklets from Halamgbala’s house.

Fake DVLA stickers

Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Osu District Police Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police Mr. Owusu Bempah, said for the past five months, personnel of the command had arrested a number of persons with fake DVLA biometric stickers on their cars during road checks.

He said most of the persons with the fake DVLA road worthy biometric certificates were lawyers, judges, officials of reputable companies and some other high ranking personalities.

Each person who was arrested, according to Mr. Bempah, argued with the police and insisted their certificates were genuine since they obtained them from the DVLA office.

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“During interrogation, the persons who were arrested separately and interrogated on different occasions all mentioned said they got their stickers from the DVLA Weija branch,” said Mr Bempah.

He said the victims also mentioned the same names, a development which triggered the search for the said persons behind the fake DVLA road worthy certificates.

“After monitoring the two suspects for awhile, Kwesi Emmanuel was arrested on May 27, 2015 at Weija by some operatives and he later led the police to arrest his ‘employer’,” Mr. Bempah said. Suspect confirms  At the Osu Police station, Mr. Bempah said, Halamgbala told police investigators that the road worthy certificates were supplied by another person.

However, Mr. Bempah said Halamgbala refused to mention the name of his accomplice or lead the police to arrest him. Halamgbala is said to have told the police that he usually met his accomplice at the Weija Junction and that he did not know his house.

Mr. Bempah said Halamgbala confirmed that Kwesi Emmanuel was his errand boy who went round to collect the DVLA road worthy booklets from the victims after which the data in the booklet was used to produce the fake biometric stickers.

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He said people who did not have the booklets also contracted their services.

Source: Graphiconline

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