Court grants businessman bail over land fraud

A 43-year-old businessman was granted a GHC60,000.00 bail with two sureties by an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding a Hotel Manager.

Maxwell Bortey is alleged to have defrauded the Manager of GHC60,000.00 under the pretext of securing him a piece of land.

He has denied the offence and the Court ordered him to deposit his bank identity card with the Registry.

He will make his next appearance on Friday, September 6.

Police Chief Inspector William Kojo Boateng told the Court presided over by Mrs Ruby Naa Adjeley Quaison that Mr Bright Boakye Agyekum is the complainant and a resident of Lashibi whereas Bortey lived at Nungua, all in the Greater Accra Region.

He said in 2016, Bortey sold two plots of land valued at GHC60,000.00 and situated at Santor in Kpong Katamanso District to the complainant.

The Court heard that the complainant then fenced the land and travelled to the United States of America and in September same year, complainant's sister informed him that the said land had been divided into two by one Bortey Oko, the accused's elder sister.

The Prosecution said the complainant contacted the accused on the issue and he promised to resolve it.

Chief Inspector Boateng said in 2017, the accused met the complainant and they both agreed that a new plot of land would be given to the complainant.

He said the accused person gave one-and-half plots of land to the complainant and promised to get him the documents but failed to do so.

A formal complaint was lodged with the Police and this led to the arrest of Bortey.

Police investigations discovered that the second parcel of land had been sold to another person and after investigations, he was arraigned.