Accra, July 28, GNA – A Beads Designer, who allegedly took GHS200,000.00 from a Fabricator under the pretext of buying items to perform rituals on a cache of dollars for use, has been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court.
Mr Joseph Nartey Tetteh, 29 years old, was charged with defrauding by false pretense, an offence he pleaded not guilty to.
The Court presided over by Mrs Afia Owusuaa Appiah, admitted the accused person to bail in the sum of GHS150,000.00, with three sureties to be justified.
The Court ordered prosecution to file and serve all disclosures and witness statements within two weeks.
The accused person was ordered by the Court to report every two weeks to the Somanya Police Station or any other police station chosen by the Investigator.
The case has been adjourned to August 29, 2022.
Prosecuting Police Chief Inspector Samuel Ahiabor, told the Court that the complainant, Mr Joseph Ababio, was a Fabricator and a resident of Tabora in Accra whilst the accused person claimed to be a Beads Designer and resided at Somanya in the Eastern Region.
The prosecution said in 2018, the complainant had a call from the accused person that he had a huge sum of dollars which he needed someone to assist him financially to buy some items to perform rituals on it.
Chief Inspector Ahiabor said the complainant became interested in the deal and sent money to the accused person as and when he requested.
The prosecution said the complainant later realised that the accused person had made him sent an amount of GHS200,000.00 to him and then went into hiding.
The Chief Inspector said whiles the complainant was deliberating on the issue to trace the accused person, he used another number which bore the name Joyce Appiah, which the accused person once made him to send money on it.
The prosecution said the complainant started to engage the user in a conversation and asked him to come and meet him in Accra for an amount of GHS8,000.00.
Chief Inspector Ahiabor said one Stephen Ogbodjor purported to be Joyce Appiah came to meet the complainant and alerted the Tesano Police.
The prosecution said the said Ogbodjor upon interrogation, denied his involvement in the deal, but admitted knowing the accused person as a fraudster and promised to assist the Police to arrest him.
Chief Inspector Ahiabor said based on this, Ogbodjor, led the police to arrest the accused person in his hideout at Somanya.
During investigations, the accused person pleaded to be granted Police enquiry bail to refund the money, but he failed and failed to report to the Police as instructed.
The prosecution said a petition was lodged and the case was transferred to Regional CID/Accra for continuation of investigations.
Upon intelligence, the accused person was re-arrested on June 28, 2022.
Chief Inspector Ahiabor said the accused person admitted the offence in his caution statement and mentioned one Baba as his accomplice whom he conspired to dupe the complainant an amount of GHS120,000.00 and not GHS200,000.00.
The prosecution said the accused person could not assist the Police to arrest the said Baba.
GNA