Two men charged for allegedly defrauding 31 people to the tune of 284,600.00 Ghana Cedis with a promise to secure them jobs in an oil company in Canada have appeared before a Tema Circuit Court.

The two, Benjamin Asiedu, a driver who resides at Abokobi in Accra and Mike Phiphi Afful, a driver and resident of Ashaiman Adjei-Kojo, were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretense.

Asiedu and Afful pleaded not guilty to the charges and were subsequently granted bail in the sum of GH¢ 300,000 each with three sureties, one of each has to be justified.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Diana Sedame, prosecuting, said Asiedu worked for Tide Water Marine, an oil and gas company based in Canada in 1995 but has since retired.

She said he took advantage of having worked in that company to conspire with Afful to recruit people from Ghana to work in the above mentioned company.

The prosecution said the two accused did not have licenses to operate as a recruitment agency.

DSP Sedame said that between May 2018 and August 2019, the accused succeeded in convincing the complainants numbering 31 to pay GH¢ 30,000 each for processing which included visa acquisition to work in the said company.

The accused took part payments with the agreement that when the complainants travel and start working, they would pay the balance.

She said Asiedu and Afful during the period succeeded in collecting a total amount of GH¢ 284,000.00 from the 31 complainants.

The Prosecution said the complainants reported the matter to the Tema Regional Police CID on September 26, 2019 after coming to the realization that they had been defrauded as the accused were unable to fulfil their part of the agreement.

She said the two were subsequently arrested admitted the offence in their cautioned statements indicating that they indeed collected the monies but were unable to facilitate the said travelling.

The court presided over by Madam Bertha Aniagei adjourned the case to February 27, 2020.