An unemployed man who posed as the Deputy Chief Of Staff, Alex Segbefia, is in the grips of the law for defrauding a businessman to the tune of Gh¢21,000 under the pretext of selling him an auctioned Toyota Prado vehicle.

The accused, Emmanuel Bedzra, when arrested by the police, was granted a police enquiry bail with an order for him to appear before an Accra Circuit Court on Friday, November 23.

However, on the said date when the case was called the accused person was absent. This prompted the prosecutor, Inspector Isaac Dedoo to pray the court, presided over by Patience Mills-Tetteh, to issue a bench warrant for his arrest, which the court obliged.

The facts of the case as presented in court were that the complainant, one Julius Fosu is businessman residing at Somanya whilst the accused is unemployed, residing at Adenta.

The accused on October 6, 2012, claiming to be Alex Segbefia took one Emmanuel Kofi Tamakloe, a truck driver and his brother, Quarshie Gaatsi to Tema harbour and allocated some cars to them for auction.

The accused allegedly allocated a Toyota Prado to Tamakloe and told him it would cost GH¢9,000.

Tamakloe, who did not have that money, discussed this with the complainant, who became interested and decided to go for the car.

The complainant, after receiving the accused’s number from Tamakloe called the accused, who posed as Alex Segbefia and discussed the auction car with him.

The accused reportedly arranged to meet the complainant at Adenta on October 10, 2012.

At the said meeting, the accused introduced himself to the complainant as Alex Segbefia and after deliberating on the issue he told the complainant he could get him three cars.

The accused reportedly asked someone to take the complainant to Tema Harbour where he was shown a Toyota Prado and two Rav 4 cars.

He later informed the complainant that the said cars would cost GH¢21,000 and the complainant, who was bent on buying them, paid the money to him at the Castle car park.

The accused assured the complainant to come for the cars on November 11.

When the complainant called the accused on the said date he promised to clear the said cars by November 16, 2012.

This made the complainant suspicious and so he discussed the issue with a friend called Tetteh Wisdom who also called someone in the office of Alex Segbefia but was told there was no business of that sort.

They then arranged and arrested the accused at the Castle and took him to Alex Segbefia’s office, where it was discovered that he was an imposter.

He was subsequently handed over to the police.

The accused admitted taking GH¢21,000 but explained he had lent the money to a friend called Franklin.

He however failed to lead the police to his said friend for retrieval of the money.