Crime & Punishment of Friday, 31 October 2014

Source: GNA

Businessman granted bail for fraud

A businessman, Kwame Dei Dawson, who was arrested for defrauding one Kofi Bamfo Duku, of an amount of GH¢13,600.00 was on Thursday granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court.

Dawson, who took the money from Kofi under the pretext of buying him a Mitsubishi pick up, was admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢8,000.00 with one surety.

He however pleaded not guilty to the charge, and is to re-appear on November 26.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Detective Inspector Isaac Agbemehia told the court that the complainant is a Ghanaian businessman resident in the United Kingdom, whilst the accused person is a Salesman, residing at Achimota.

He said in 2013, Kwame took an amount of GH¢13,600.00 from the complainant, with the pretext of buying him a Mitsubishi vehicle, on auction sale from Vodafone Ghana Limited.

He said, the accused person after some weeks, called the complainant to inform him that he bought the vehicle, and requested for his passport pictures to register the vehicle in his name, which he (the complainant sent).

Detective Inspector Agbemehia said the complainant came to Ghana this year, but when he requested for the vehicle, the accused person could not produce it.

He said after several attempts by the complainant to retrieve the vehicle had failed, he reported the case to the police.

According to the prosecution, on August 4, the accused person was arrested, and in his statement admitted that he received the said amount from the complainant, and bought the said vehicle from Vodafone Ghana.

He said, when the accused person was asked to lead the police to where the car was, he could neither produce it or show evidence of purchase.

In the course of investigations, the accused person refunded an amount of GH¢5,000.00 to the police, leaving an outstanding balance of GH¢8,600.00.