A trader at Ketan near Sekondi collected GH¢3,000 from a relative of a remand prisoner to allegedly influence a judge to grant him bail, a circuit court at Takoradi has heard.

The prosecution told the court that the trader, Yaw Adjei, convinced the remand prisoner, Kwesi Amoh, that he worked with the Circuit Court Judge handling his case and could influence the Judge to grant him bail if he could pay GHC¢3,000.

Adjei pleaded not guilty to defrauding by false pretences on Thursday and was remanded in prison custody to reappear on June 26.

The prosecutor, police Inspector Veronica Tibson, further told the court that Amoh directed Adjei to see his relative, Raymond Tsibuah, a cocoa purchasing clerk for the money.

Adjei travelled to Enchi, where he discussed the deal with Tsibuah, who asked him to return to Takoradi while he prepared to follow later.

In Takoradi, Adjei took Tsibuah who was in the company of one John Amissah, to the Circuit Court premises and introduced them to a man purported to be the prosecutor in charge of Amoh's case.

The alleged prosecutor, who did not disclose his name, confirmed that if the GH¢3,000 was paid, it would be used to influence the judge to grant Amoh bail at the next sitting of the case.

Following this assurance, Adjei was directed to collect the money and in the presence of Amissah, was given an initial amount of GH¢2,500 by Tsibuah with a promise to pay the remaining GH¢500 in a week.

Adjei travelled to Enchi on the appointed date and was given the GH¢500 in addition to some tubers of yam.

Inspector Tibson said after the full payment of the amount, Tsibuah and Amissah were full of expectation that Amoh would be released on bail, but this did not materialise.

Adjei and the alleged prosecutor put off their mobile phones, making it difficult for them to be contacted.

Luck, however, eluded Adjei when Tsibuah had information that Adjei was serving a sentence at Sekondi Central Prisons.

Armed with this information Tsibuah travelled to Takoradi Prisons where he identified Adjei as the one who took the GH¢3,000 from him, and reported the case to the police.

He would reappear before the court on June 26.