Accra, Nov. 16, GNA - A retired Lieutenant Colonel on Tuesday appeared before a circuit tribunal in Accra charged with defrauding by false pretences and issuing of dud cheque.

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Mensah (rtd), 55, a consultant in Clinical Biochemistry, pleaded not guilty and was granted three million cedis bail with one surety to be justified.

He will appear again on December 14. Prosecuting Police Inspector Joseph Ohemeng told the tribunal chaired by Mr Charles Nyewolema that the complainant, Mr Henry Odai, is a Laboratory Technologist at Mataheko in Accra, while the accused now lives in Koforidua.

Inspector Ohemeng said on January six, last year, Mensah collected a cheque for 3.2 million cedis from Mr Odai and cashed it under the pretext of supplying him with laboratory equipment but failed to do so.

According to the prosecutor, every effort by Mr Odai to retrieve his money from Mensah proved futile. On March 16, this year, the accused issued a post-dated cheque for 3.2 million cedis to Mr Odai to be cashed on May 31 but the cheque was dishonoured when it was presented at the bank