General News of Monday, 15 September 2003

Source: GNA

Cameroonian jailed for attempted fraud

Accra Sept.15, GNA - A 28-year old Cameroonian was on Monday sentenced to five years' imprisonment with hard labour by a Circuit Court in Accra for attempted fraud.

Tague Alain, Unemployed, pleaded not guilty but was found guilty and convicted accordingly by the court which ordered his deportation after the sentence.

Sentencing Alain, the court chaired by Mr Willy Wise Kyeremeh declared that it would not show any sympathy on foreigners, who abused the hospitality offered by Ghanaians and people who wanted to cheat others.

Mr Kyeremeh noted that the court is currently "pregnant" with such cases and stated the court would not take kindly to such behaviours hence the need for Alain to serve a custodial sentence.

"We are prepared to live with people who are law abiding but not those, who would take advantage of us," the Judge declared.

He was of the view that Alain was aware of the complainant's plight and went ahead to pose as someone who could assist.

The case of Prosecution was that the complainant, who is a trader buys goods from Nigeria for sale in Ghana while Alain and his two accomplices Robert and Adamu, now at large, are unemployed Cameroonians residing at Kokomlemle with the complainant.

Alain, Robert and Adamu became acquainted with the complainant and, therefore, introduced themselves as Pastors, who would like to share the word of God with her.

On March 20, this year, at about 0730 hours Robert and Adamu visited the complainant to share the word of God with her. In the process they asked the complainant to bring all her money for them to bless it in order to ward off evil spirits before she travelled to Nigeria.

The accused persons instead of blessing the money, replaced it with black papers cut out in the form of dollars a in polythene bag and gave it back to the complainant.

On March 27, this year, Alain visited the complainant to wash the black papers for her but was, however, apprehended and handed over to the Police.