An Accra Circuit Court has granted a GHC300,000.00 bail with two sureties to a businessman over an alleged USD20,000 gold fraud.
Nana Kwaku Agyempin Otu III has also been charged with issuing false cheque.
He allegedly took USD20,000.00 and GHC30,000.00 from Madam Louisa Shadeya Dewar and Mr. Calvin Enoch Kumah under the pretext of supplying her with a quantity of gold and for business purposes, respectively.
The Court presided over by Mr. Isaac Oheneba Kuffour ordered that one of the sureties be justified with a movable or immovable title deed.
In the absence of that, a civil servant, earning not less than GHC3,000.00 a month can be used as the justification.
Nana Agyempin Otu III has however denied the charges of defrauding by false pretence and issuing of false cheque with the face value GHC140,000.00.
He will make his next appearance on October 23, 2023.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Evans Kesse, prosecuting, told the Court that Madam Dewar, the first complainant, was a businesswoman, living in Cantonments, Accra.
Mr. Kumah, the second complainant, is the Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O.) of Boston Premier Microfinance Limited and a resident of Dome in Accra.
He said both complainants were business partners. Nana Kwaku Akyempin Otu Ill, the accused person, a businessman based in Accra.
Sometime in 2018, the accused person was introduced to Madam Dewar, the first complainant, by a friend of her’s as someone who could supply her with gold, said Prosecution.
The Court heard that accused person also promised that he could supply her with gold.
He then demanded and collected USD$20,000.00 as well as GHC30,000.00 from her but failed to supply the gold as promised.
DSP Kesse said prior to the collection of the money, Madam Dewar introduced the accused person to her business partner, Mr. Kumah.
He said in March 2022, the accused person, pleaded with Mr. Kumah that he needed USD5,000.00, thus based on the business relationship of the complainants and the introduction earlier made by Madam Dewar to Mr. Kumah, he gave the US$5,000.00 to the accused person.
Prosecution said the accused person after receipt of the money, issued a post-dated UMB Bank cheque for GHC140.000.00 to Mr. Kumah for repayment but the cheque was dishonoured when it was presented at the said bank.
Prosecution said the complainants requested for the refund of their money on several occasions from the accused person but they were not successful.
On February 21, 2023, a report was made to the Police and the accused person was invited.
Despite persistent invitations extended to the accused, he blatantly refused to report to the Police and went into hiding, the Court was told.
This led to the arrest of the accused person by the Police CID Headquarters in a similar case of defrauding by false pretences and was on April 20, 2023, handed over to the Regional CID/Accra after their investigation.
Prosecution said investigation established that, the accused person indeed collected the money from the complainants.
It was further established that, the accused person had no place of abode, hence moving from one hotel to another, the Court was told.
After investigation, the accused person was arraigned.
