A Kumasi Circuit Court, presided over by Justice William Boampong, has ordered an estate developer to be held in prison custody for swindling a teacher of her GH¢3,000.00.

Emmanuel Acheampong, Chief Executive Officer of Tesprom Estate Limited, had taken the money under the pretext of helping her to complete a housing project.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge of fraud and would be brought back on Monday, May 21.

Police Inspector Kwabena Oduro-Boateng told the court that the complainant, Madam Clara Goliglitly Dadzie lives at Fante New Town in Kumasi.

The accused caused advertisements to be made for government employees interested in owning their own houses to contact his company and the complainant became interested.

She had already started constructing a house and sought assistance from Acheampong’s company to finish it and this was to be done at a cost of GH¢15,000.00.

The arrangement was that Madam Dadzie would pay an initial amount of GH¢3,000.00 into the company’s account number 015-200563 at the Amalbank, Adum branch, by April 26, 2010, which she did.

The rest of the money, totaling GH¢12,000.00, was to be deducted in installments at source from her salary. Acheampong promised to begin the work, three months after the initial deposit had been paid and the job completed within six months.

The prosecution said after the money had been lodged into the said account, the accused went into hiding for two years.

He however run out of luck when a banner he hanged at the Kumasi Railways to bait other unsuspecting people led to his arrest on May 2.

He admitted the offence in his caution statement but claimed the complainant abrogated the contract.**