Accra, July 7, GNA - An unemployed who is said to be lending hand to garage owners at Ablemkpe in Accra on Thursday appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for conspiracy and defrauding by false pretences. Francis Kumi pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Kumi and Benjamin Nortey, a self styled staff of National Security, were accused of collecting GH9,500 cedis from a civil servant under the pretext of selling to him an auctioned Toyota Camry but they failed to do so.

While the court issued a warrant for the arrest of Nortey who is now at large, it remanded Kumi into police custody to re-appear on July 23.

Police Chief Inspector J.K. Anim told the court presided over by Mr Eric Kyei-Baffour that the complainant Devine Kwame Tsama lives at Osu.

Kumi also resides at Osu and has been introducing himself to people as a car dealer.

Chief Inspector Anim said sometime in January this year, Mr Tsama discussed with a friend his desire to buy a vehicle. The said friend who knew Kumi to be a car dealer introduced Kumi to the complainant.

According to the prosecutor, Kumi also led the complainant to Nortey who promised to get him an auctioned car to buy.

Kumi therefore took the complainant to Tema Harbour where he was shown a fleet of cars as those that government was going to auction and therefore asked the complainant to choose and pay GH9,500 cedis for one.

On January 10, this year, complainant paid GH1,500 cedis to Kumi as part payment and four days later took him (complainant) to Nortey's house where he paid another GH5,000 cedis.

The prosecutor said on January 20, this year, Kumi went to the complainant's work place and took GH3,500 cedis as the last installment and led him to Nortey's house where a receipt was issued to him (the complainant).

Kumi and Nortey after collecting the money, he started telling tales to the complainant. They refused to answer the complainant's calls and ended up putting off their mobile phones.

The complainant therefore lodged a complaint with the Police and on June 30, this year, Kumi was arrested by the Police at his hide out.

In Kumi's caution statement, he admitted the offence and stated that GH9,500 cedis was with Nortey, who is now at large.