Washing bay attendant remanded over military uniforms, false pretense 

By A washing bay attendant who posted a video of himself on TikTok wearing military camouflage trousers and vest portraying to be a military officer has been remanded by an Accra Circuit Court. 

Alex Cobbina, 20, charged with falsely pretending to be a public officer and possession of a military uniform, naval Inner vest, military camouflage nose mask and along boot without permit, pleaded guilty. 

Cobbina told the court to forgive him because he did not know his action breached the laws of Ghana. 

According to Cobbina, he was the bread winner of the family, adding incarcerating him would bring untold hardship to his family. 

The court presided over by Mr. Samuel Bright Acquah convicted Cobbina on his own plea but deferred his sentence to January 9, 2025 

Prosecution led by Detective Chief Inspector Abel Amaning said the complainants in this case are officers from the Ghana Navy Headquarters while accused Alex Cobbina aka mobitel an attendant a washing bay attendant at Apam, in the Central Region. 

 Prosecution said on December 9, 2024, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) sighted the accused dressed in a pair of military camouflage uniform trousers and a Naval T-shirt posing as a military officer on his social media handle named “Alex Cobbina @ mobitel.Gh. 

The court heard that the accused was heard saying in the video, that “we voted for President Mahama and he said he would sack those who got recruited into the Ghana Armed Forces through protocol means.” 

Prosecution said the Ghana Navy Headquarters then mounted surveillance on the accused and subsequently arrested him at Madina, Ritz in Accra. 

The prosecutor said the Ghana Military Police High Command then handed over the accused to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service for further investigation. 

 The accused during interrogations indicated that he is a washing bay attendant at Apam in the Central Region. 

The prosecution said the accused alleged that a soldier client whose name he does not know came to wash his car and asked him to dispose of the said old military uniforms which were in his car, but he kept the same for himself. 

Prosecution said the accused further added that it came to his attention, that His Excellency President elect John Dramani Mahama says he will sack all military officers recruited through protocol means.  

Meanwhile, prosecution said the accused indicated that his senior in school would be affected so he dressed in the military uniform and made the video in question on his “Alex Cobbina ( mobitel.Gh.”Tik Tok account.  

The investigation was extended to the suspect’s place abode at Apam where exhibit namely a pair of military camouflage trousers, one Navy inner vest, camouflage nose mask, and a pair of camouflage long booth were recovered in the presence of his employer Mr. Ernest Baidoo and same kept evidential purposes.  

The accused in his investigation caution statement denied being a military officer but admitted making and posting the said videos and that he deleted them the following day. 

Source: GNA