Thompson Opoku- Agyemang (first Accused), Maxwell Cobbinah (second Accused), and Musah Nabie (third Accused), have, among others, been chargedwith defrauding by false pretence.
The Complainant in this case is an Indian businessman who is domiciled in the United Kingdom.
Thompson Opoku Agyeman is unemployed, Maxwell Cobbinah claims to be a transporter and Musah Nabie, who is a Sierra Leonean, is at large. All the Accused persons are friends.
In the month of November 2016, the Complainant purchased five kilograms of gold and some quantity of diamond from Sierra Leone. He asked Musah Nabie to send the gold and diamond to Dubai for him.
Some weeks later, the Complainant received a telephone call from the first Accused, who introduced himself as Superintendent of Police in Ghana. He told the Complainant that the third Accused who was travelling from Sierra Leone to Dubai, through Ghana with the gold and diamond, had been arrested at the Kotoka International Airport by the customs officials, and the goods had been seized from him.
The first Accused further told the Complainant that, the Customs officials in Ghana were demanding 10,000 United States dollars before the goods would be released and that he (first Accused) being the Superintendent of Police, was in the position to facilitate the process.
The Complainant then sent the money from the United Kingdom (UK) through Western Union and the second Accused person, went for its cedi equivalent of 40,000 Ghana cedis from one Humphrey Tetteh- Ocloo.
The Accused persons shared the money amongst themselves and sent a miniature photograph of gold bars and diamond to the Complainant, portraying that they had retrieved the gold and diamond and were ready to airlift them.
Later, the first Accused informed the Complainant that Customs Officials were demanding additional money and also money for the process of airlifting the goods to Dubai.
In February 2017, the Complainant sent 30,000 US dollars through the same means and the first Accused sent the second Accused to collect its cedi equivalent of 121,000 Ghana cedis.
The Accused persons, after succeeding in collecting a total sum of 40,000 US dollars from the Complainant, put off their phones and went into hiding.
The Complainant, who realised that he had been defrauded, gave a Power of Attorney to one John Boadi to report the case on his behalf.
The second Accused was arrested and he led investigators to the first Accused at Chantan.
During investigation, it came to light that the third Accused never brought gold and diamond to Ghana but he only came to Ghana to conspire with the first and second Accused persons to defraud the Complainant.
A sprinter Benz bus with registration number GT 2950- 17 and a GMC Ford with vehicle number GE 1727 X, believed to have been acquired with the proceeds of the money fraudulently acquired from the Complainant, were seized and impounded for necessary action.
The first and second Accused persons were released on enquiry bail to assist investigations but the second Accused jumped bail for two months. His sureties got him arrested and handed him over to the Bureau of National Investigation.
The first Accused has refunded 20,000 Ghana cedis which has been handed over to the Complainant.
The third Accused is yet to be traced and arrested.
The first Accused pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of 160,000 Ghana cedis with two sureties, one to be justified.
The second Accused person who also pleaded not guilty, was granted bail in the sum of 160,000 Ghana cedis with three sureties, one to be justified.
The case has been adjourned to 14th November, 2017.
