Court issues bench warrant for arrest of economist

An Accra Circuit Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of an Economist, who allegedly took GHS475,500.00 from an unemployed woman under the pretext of investing it in the salted fish business but failed.

Alex Kodua, 42, charged with defrauding by false pretence, failed to come to court for his plea to be taken.

When the case was called on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Maxwell Oppong, prosecuting, informed the Court that the accused person, described as an Economist, had been informed several times to come to court but had failed.

The prosecution, therefore, prayed to the Court for a bench warrant for the arrest of the accused person.

The Court presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah, issued the warrant for the arrest of the accused person.

The case has been adjourned to February 28, 2023.

The prosecution said the complainant Theresa Duku was unemployed and resided at Ogbojo, Accra while the accused person was a resident of Oyarifa-Amanfrom, Accra.

It said in October 2021, the complainant lost her job as a banker and the accused person, who was her friend, approached her with claims that he was into purchase and supply of salted fish locally known as “Kako”.

The prosecution said the accused person convinced the complainant that, if she was able to invest her money into the said business, she could get good returns.

It said the accused person thereafter demanded and collected cash of GH30,000.00 from the complainant under the pretext of investing the same into the said business.

The prosecution said some days later, the accused person brought some returns to the complainant as profit he had generated from the money.

It said the accused person, after winning the complainant’s trust, asked her to contact her friends, who may also be interested in the deal.

The prosecution said the complainant fell to the prank and raised funds from her family and friends to the tune of GH475,500.00.

It said the complainant handed over the funds to the accused person, who promised to use the money to order the said salted fish for her to enable her to do the business herself.

The prosecution said the accused person after collecting the money went into hiding and suddenly stopped communications with the complainant.

It said on July 12, 2022, the complainant reported the issue to the Police and the accused person was traced and arrested in his hideout.

The prosecution said the accused person admitted the offence and pleaded for the Police to give him up to the end of August 2022 to return the money but failed.

It said the investigation, however, disclosed that the accused person had never been into the purchase or supply of any salted fish as he claimed.