Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 6 June 2006

Source: pfm

Bail For Slippery Lizzy

Elizabeth Agyapong, the woman who accused the former Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon Kofi Osei Ameyaw of engaging in rituals and was arrest, was granted a ?400 million bail with two sureties to be justified as well as to report to the Police three times a week.

Counsel for Elizabeth Agyapong, Nasiru Yussif who applied for bail for his client, told the court that she is a mother who has children and so the psychological effect of a long detention on her children cannot be overruled. Nasiru Yussif was of the view that the offence Elizabeth is alleged to have committed is not the type for which she cannot be considered for bail.

Lizzy?s counsel said, she did not have any intention to defraud the complainants, adding that they were just business transactions ?and we admit them as debts for which we are liable civilly.?

According to him, his client has already paid some amount to defray some of her debts and if she is granted bail, it would facilitate a lot of things and noted that they were still at the jurisdiction and discretion of the court. When she was arrested about two months ago, Lizzy accused the deputy minister who is also the MP for the Asuogyaman constituency, of instigating the court case against her after her first court appearance.

She is standing trial for allegedly defrauding a certain Gabriel Asante of his 69 pieces of mobile phones worth ?52,150,000. Within the same month, she went to Mavis Annor, one of the complainants and allegedly collected 29 pieces of wax prints valued at ?48,500,000 with the promise of returning the money but failed to do so. She allegedly duped a certain Saman Mohammed also of a Nissan Altima saloon car. She went into hiding after collecting the car.

Upon hearing about her arrest, the complainant rushed to the Police CID headquarters and identified her as the one who had duped them. She was accordingly charged with the offence. She has however pleaded not guilty to three counts of defrauding by false pretences. The case has been adjourned to