Accra, Nov. 17, GNA - Benjamin Asiedu, 29, trader, on Wednesday appeared before a circuit tribunal in Accra for allegedly selling his mother's house at East Legon.

Asiedu was charged with defrauding by false pretences while his accomplice, Antie Essie, 44 trader, was in the dock for abetment of crime. They both pleaded not guilty and were each granted 20 million cedis bail with a surety to be justified.

They will appear again on November 24. Police Inspector Emmanuel Tawiah Boison told the tribunal that the complainant, Mrs Adwoa Afreh is a housewife living at Tesano in Accra. Inspector Boison said Mrs Afreh wanted a house to purchase and consulted some estate agents.

They linked her to Asiedu, who agreed to sell a house at West Legon in Accra to her. The prosecutor said the property belonged to Asiedu's mother, who lives in Canada but the documents covering the building were with his grandmother living in Accra Asiedu prepared fictitious documents to cover the building and sold it to Mrs Afreh for 40 million cedis.

When the complainant requested Asiedu to produce his relatives to witness the payment of the money, Asiedu produced Antie Essie, his mother-in-law, who he introduced as his aunt and one other person now on the run, as his grandfather. He said when Asiedu's mother returned from Canada, she got to know about the sale of the building and made a report to the Police.