Court remands Togolese for fraud

Tepa (Ash), April 23, GNA- The Tepa circuit court on Tuesday remanded Jerry Atta alias Frenchman, 32, an unemployed Togolese resident at Abonsuaso near Tepa in the Ahafo-Ano North district in police custody for defrauding six people of various sums of money.

He pleaded not guilty and will re-appear on May 6.

Police Inspector Prosper Yao Aheto told the court that in December 2003, the accused collected an amount of nine million cedis from one Mr Isaac Frimpong, the complainant, to pay for a vehicle he ( accused) had brought as part payment and promised to register the vehicle in the complainant's name.

After collecting the money, he went into hiding at Duayaw-Nkwanta in the Tano district until he was found and arrested. The prosecutor said Atta collected an amount of two million cedis from Afua Nyame, a resident at Abonsuaso to clear his goods at Aflao border but he failed to do so.

Inspector Aheto said the accused in December 2003, collected various sums of money and four passport pictures each from Idrisu Mohammed, Ibrahim Adams Suleman, Felix Kwabena Adu and Sumaila Mohammed, all resident at Abonsuaso under the pretext of obtaining identity cards for them to enable them to secure gainful employment at his brother's factory in Togo.

He, however, went into hiding after collecting the money and the passport pictures.

The prosecutor said in February this year, Isaac Frimpong found the accused person at Duayaw-Nkwanta and caused his arrest. He said while the police were investigating the case, five other victims had the information of his arrest and lodged complaints against him.

Atta also faced another charge of fraud at the same court. He was alleged to have collected 750,000 cedis from Dominic Barima Marfo, a cocoa farmer with a promise of engaging a lawyer for him.