Tema, July 5, GNA - Fred Jackson, a former front desk officer at the Nick Hotel in Tema Community Six has been remanded in custody by the Tema Circuit Court 'B' for allegedly defrauding eleven footballers of over nineteen million cedis under the pretext of recruiting them for a football club in Thailand.

Jackson, who pleaded not guilty to the charge of fraud, will reappear in court on July 17.

Police Inspector Bernard Agbedanu, prosecuting told the court that Jackson told one Christopher Hagan in January 2005 that a Thai lady had asked him to recruit footballers for her to enable her form a football club by name Jubilee Club.

Christopher, who is a witness in the case contacted footballers at Tema Manhean at the various football training centres as instructed by Jackson.

The witness then introduced 30 footballers who expressed interest in the club to Jackson who had several meetings with them and eventually informed them of payment of processing fees of A21,750,000 each. Inspector Agbedanu said 11 out of the 30 paid the amount totalling =A219,350,000 to Jackson through the witness, adding that, the accused then changed the money into 2200 US dollars. The complainants did not hear anything from accused after he had told the witness that he was travelling to Togo to transfer the money to the Thai lady.

On June 23, this year, the witness saw the accused at Tema Community One market and caused his arrest.