Crime & Punishment of Monday, 4 October 2004

Source: GNA

Slippery trader in Court again

Accra, Oct. 4, GNA - A 35-year -old trader, Mabel Dwamena, who was arraigned at a circuit court two weeks ago for stealing 16 assorted mobile phones appeared at a different Circuit Court on Monday for defrauding her colleague of 84.9 million cedis.

Mabel, who appeared with a different name as Regina Mensah alias Benedicta, defrauded the trader of 500 bags of flour, 50 bags of Sugar and other bakery items all valued at 84.9million cedis. The Court remanded her after she had pleaded not guilty to defrauding by false pretences. She is to reappear on October 11.

The case of Prosecuting Assistant Superintendent of Police, Emmanuel Yaw Frimpong, on November 9, 2000 Mabel, also known as Regina Mensah asked the complainant Cynthia Dsane, a dealer in sugar, rice, flour and other bakery items at Mallam Atta market, to supply her 500 bags of flour, 50 bags of Sugar and other bakery items to enable her to supply them to her customers and promised to pay in two weeks. Prosecution said the complainant obliged and gave Mabel the goods. Prior to the release, Mabel had earlier on purchased 100 bags of flour, which she paid for. Prosecution said this convinced the complainant to release the goods to Mabel.

Mabel, however, refused to pay for the items as promised and went into hiding. The Prosecutor said Mabel was later traced and arrested on December 1, 2000 and she was admitted to Police enquiry bail but failed to report. When she was rearrested on March 3, 2001 she paid five million cedis to defray the debt but later disappeared.