Court Grants Bail To Woman Accused In GH¢675,000 GAF Recruitment Scam

An Accra court has granted bail to a 41-year-old ward assistant accused of taking money from people seeking to join the Ghana Armed Forces in what prosecutors describe as a recruitment fraud scheme.

The accused, Patience Mbaye, has been charged alongside Ex-Senior Warrant Officer Jeffery Naboung, who prosecutors say is currently at large. The case centres on claims that dozens of people paid large sums after being promised help to secure recruitment into the military.

According to the prosecution, Mbaye allegedly collected GH¢675,000 from 26 people. Naboung is also alleged to have collected GH¢1,005,000 from 47 people through a similar arrangement. The two are facing one count of conspiracy to commit crime and three counts of defrauding by false pretences.

Court grants bail as accused denies charges

Inspector Frank Morgan Dorvi, who presented the facts to the court, said Mbaye was brought before the Accra court after investigations into complaints from persons who said they had paid money but did not receive the promised recruitment assistance.

Mbaye pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court admitted her to bail in the sum of GH¢100,000 with three justified sureties. One of the sureties must be a public servant, the court directed.

As part of the bail conditions, Mbaye must report to the case investigator twice each week, on Wednesdays and Fridays. The matter has been adjourned to July 27, 2026.

Prosecutors allege that GH¢675,000 was collected from 26 people by Patience Mbaye, while Ex-Senior Warrant Officer Jeffery Naboung allegedly collected GH¢1,005,000 from 47 people.

The prosecution named Fatima Adam, a Prisons Officer, and Abdul Malik Ali, an okada rider, as the complainants in the case. Their complaint triggered police investigations into how the alleged recruitment arrangement was presented and how payments were collected.

How the alleged recruitment deal began

The prosecution told the court that the events began between 2023 and 2024 when Ali met Mbaye. She allegedly told him she had links that could help interested applicants secure recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces.

Ali later informed his sister about the alleged opportunity. Fatima also became interested after hearing about the possibility of recruitment into the military and contacted Mbaye by telephone to verify whether the arrangement was genuine.

According to Inspector Dorvi, Mbaye assured Fatima that she and Naboung had helped several people gain recruitment into the military. That assurance, prosecutors said, encouraged the complainants and others to part with money in the hope of gaining entry into the armed forces.

The prosecution said Mbaye directed Ali to pay GH¢25,000 into a bank account provided by Naboung. Investigators later alleged that both Mbaye and Naboung used their GCB Bank accounts to receive payments from persons seeking recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces.

The alleged payments, according to the prosecution, formed part of a broader pattern in which people were made to believe that payment could open a route into military service. No recruitment was secured for the complainants, and the money was not refunded despite demands, the court heard.

The prosecution's account also places the alleged transactions within a period when applicants and families were actively looking for credible employment routes. That context matters because recruitment into the security services is highly competitive, and any claim of inside assistance can quickly draw desperate interest from people who believe they may otherwise miss an opportunity.

Recruitment fraud allegations under scrutiny

The case adds to recurring public concerns about fake recruitment schemes targeting people who want jobs in the security services. Such schemes often rely on the pressure many young people and families feel when formal recruitment windows open or when word spreads that someone has influence within a state institution.

In this case, prosecutors are not only alleging that money changed hands. They are also asking the court to consider whether the accused persons knowingly presented themselves as having the ability to secure Ghana Armed Forces recruitment when they could not deliver.

The charges of defrauding by false pretences will require the prosecution to prove that the complainants were induced to make payments based on false representations. The conspiracy charge will focus on whether Mbaye and Naboung allegedly acted together in furtherance of the scheme.

• Patience Mbaye is 41 and works as a ward assistant.
• She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
• Ex-Senior Warrant Officer Jeffery Naboung is currently at large, according to prosecutors.
• The case returns to court on July 27, 2026.

For now, Mbaye remains on bail under court-imposed reporting conditions while police continue to pursue the case. Naboung's alleged role will also remain central to the prosecution's case, especially because the court was told that some payments were made into a bank account he provided.

The Ghana Armed Forces has formal recruitment processes, and the allegations before the court underline the risk faced by job seekers who deal with individuals claiming to have special access. The court will determine the facts as the trial proceeds, but the sums involved and the number of alleged victims make the case one to watch closely.