Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 18 October 2006

Source: GNA

Court remands two for attempting to defraud two priests

Awutu Beraku (C/R), Oct 18, GNA - An Awutu Beraku magistrate court on Monday remanded two taxi drivers who attempted to defraud two reverend ministers of the Lord's Temple Ministry based at Tarkwa in the Western Region.

Emmanuel Yaw Amoako, 27, and Kofi Duah, 25, based in Taifa in Accra, pleaded not guilty and would reappear on October 24. Police Chief Inspector William Akanah told the court that on October 10 Douglas Akoro and Linda Affrani received phone calls.

The caller told them that their late father, Mr Patrick Owusu who was working in the United States before his death, wrote a declaration that all his property should be given to his children in Ghana including the priests.

The caller told the two priests that 60 assorted phones with their accessories had arrived at the Tema Harbour and that they had cleared them at the cost of 12.5 million cedis.

The accused persons told them to meet them at a spot at Winneba Junction for the items and refund of their money.

At the Spot the accused persons showed the complainants a big suitcase with an inscription "from Patrick Owusu London to Linda Affrani, Tarkwa Ghana, West Africa."

The reverend ministers demanded the key to the suitcase before paying the 12.5 million cedis but the accused persons insisted that the money should be paid before they would hand over the key. This made the complainants to suspect foul deal. They phoned the Winneba Police who came to arrest the accused persons. When the suitcase was opened it was found to be containing three big stones weighing a total of 40 kilograms.