Deputy MOFA Director Charged

After rushing to an Accra Circuit Court to have a bench warrant issued against him rescinded, the Deputy Director of Finance and Administration of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has been charged with the offence of defrauding by false pretence.

The accused, Seth Dumoga, this time, without a counsel, pleaded not guilty to the offence but pleaded with the court presided over by Audrey Korcuvi-Tay to give him some time to pay the amount involved.

The judge granted him bail in the sum of GH¢300,000 with three sureties to re-appear on November 18, 2011. The judge ordered him to pay a reasonable amount of the money to the police before the next hearing date.

The director and his Chinese accomplice, Tang Hong, had allegedly defrauded one Ernest Nunoo, an estate developer, of an amount of $100,000 in 2008 under the pretext of transferring ownership of two plots of lands located at M-Plaza at Roman Ridge in Accra to the complainant.

Dumoga had allegedly introduced his Chinese friend to the complainant as the owner of a company called the CAITEC DELTA, which owned the two plots of land.

The two plots of land cost $1,500,000.

Mr Dumoga, who is also a lawyer, allegedly provided title deeds to justify his claim and this convinced the complainant, who agreed to pay 1,500,000 US dollars for the two plots.

The accused reportedly persuaded Nunoo to issue the cash cheques for payment in his name but the complainant insisted that since the transaction was in the name of CAITEC DELTA Company, he would rather pay by bankers draft into the company’s account.

The accused managed to convince the complainant to pay 1,000,000.00 US dollars out of the 1,500,000.00 US dollars into his personal account to enable him do the necessary transfer.

However, the complainant paid 1,400,000.00US dollars, through a banker’s draft, into CAITEC DELTA Company’s account. In addition, he paid $100,000.00 into the personal account of the accused as demanded at Barclays Bank, Ridge branch.

Mr. Dumoga allegedly withdrew the $100,000 as soon as the money was paid into his account.

When the complainant visited the site, he was allegedly chased out by a security man placed on the land by the rightful owners.

The complainant immediately stopped his bankers from paying the $1,400,000.00 when he noted that the transaction was a fraud.

Mr. Nunoo immediately traced the accused to collect his $100,000.00 but the accused could not provide the money.

After persistent demands, the finance director refunded GH¢28,000.00 and pleaded with the complainant to give him four months to pay the balance. But since 2009 the accused has failed to pay the rest of the amount.

A report was made to the police and Dumoga was arrested.