Accra, June 16, GNA – Two persons have been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court for conspiracy to commit a crime to wit, defrauding by false pretence.
Michel Kota, a 28-year-old, and Aziz Ben, a 32-year-old, have been granted bail in the sum of GHS150,000.00 each with two sureties each to be justified.
They are jointly being held for conspiracy to commit a crime and defrauding by false pretence. They have pleaded not guilty.
The Court has ordered the Prosecution to file witness statements and other disclosures within three weeks.
The Court presided over by Mrs Afia Owusuaa Appiah adjourned the case to July 21, 2022.
Police Chief Inspector Gulliver Tenkorang, prosecuting, said the complainant, King Joe Atani, was a clearing agent whilst Kota and Aziz claimed to be welders and resided at Sapeiman near Amasaman.
The Prosecution said during November 2020, Abraham Tettey, an errand boy for the complainant and a witness in the case introduced the accused persons and one other who was currently on the run, who mentioned his name as Mohammed to the complainant that they were into Bitcoin business.
Chief Inspector Tenkorang said they managed to lure the complainant to meet them at Nungua.
During the meeting, the accused persons and their accomplice who is now at large informed the complainant that a Chinese company that was mandated to print money for the Ghana Government brought a container containing papers which can be washed into currencies, according to the prosecution.
He said because of the ban on illegal mining, the Chinese had gone back to China and left the container under their care and their boss whom they mentioned as Alhaji.
The prosecution said the complainant was not interested but the accused person cunningly demonstrated and showed samples of the alleged currencies to him.
They later demanded and collected total cash of GHS241,000.00 from the complainant under the pretext of buying chemicals to wash the said Chinese-made currency papers.
Chief Inspector Tenkorang said after receipt of the money, the accused persons told the complainant that they were going to buy food and come but managed to escape.
The Prosecution said a complaint was lodged and Kota and Aziz were arrested but their accomplice Mohammed managed to escape.
When a search was conducted in their room, papers cut in the form of currency notes were retrieved.
He said during the investigation, it was revealed that immediately after the accused persons succeeded in duping the complainant, Kota used his share of the money to purchase a Hyundai Elantra 2012 model from a witness in the case.
The Prosecution said when Kota was granted police enquiry bail, he rushed to the witness and asked him to transfer the car into a different person’s name and backdate purchase records but he was tracked and intercepted which thwarted his efforts.
GNA