Two arrested for illegally accessing DVLA portal and defrauding drivers
Two individuals have been brought before the Dansoman Circuit Court for illegally accessing electronic records from the Drivers, Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) online portal.
Delali Yevu, a 42-year-old software developer, and Sabastian Donne, a 32-year-old heavy-duty machine operator, were detained after they charged drivers GH¢200 each to authenticate their driver’s licenses, significantly less than the approved fee of GH¢471 set by the DVLA.
The charges against the pair include conspiracy to commit a crime, unauthorised access to computer programmes or electronic records of the DVLA, and defrauding by false pretences.
Additionally, Kwaku Torgbo Wise Dziedzorm, a 38-year-old sales and onboarding manager, is also facing charges for allegedly assisting Yevu and Donne in defrauding Francis Kwaku Pinamang and Freeman Moses Ankomah of GH¢200 and GH¢185, respectively.
According to the prosecution, Yevu collected the money while impersonating a DVLA officer to authenticate the victims’ driver’s licenses.
Their scheme was uncovered when the DVLA became aware of their activities at the Moove Ghana Limited offices in Kanda, Accra.
All three accused have pleaded not guilty to their respective charges. Despite multiple bail applications by their lawyers, the court presided over by Halimah El-Alwa Abdul-Baasit, denied them bail. The prosecution also opposed bail, arguing that releasing the accused could hinder ongoing investigations and allow other conspirators to evade arrest.
The court remanded the accused into police custody and scheduled the next hearing for 24th July 2024 for the Case Management Conference. The prosecution was directed to expedite their investigations and provide disclosures and witness statements.
The case, led by Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder, revealed that on 27th June, Yevu visited the Moove Ghana Limited offices seeking a “work and pay” vehicle. Noticing the number of drivers needing licence authentication, Yevu, who does not work for the DVLA, claimed to be an authority employee and offered to assist with the authentication process.
Yevu then involved Donne, who worked for an insurance company at the Tema DVLA, and together they executed their plan at Moove Ghana offices, posing as DVLA officers.
With the assistance of Dziedzorm, who introduced them as DVLA officers, they charged each driver GH¢200, including Pinamang and Ankomah, much lower than the official service fee.
The DVLA conducted an intelligence-led investigation that led to the arrest of the accused. Investigations are still ongoing as other suspects may be involved in the scheme.
