Ex New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive in prison custody

Mr Clement Okyere-Darko, New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, was on Tuesday remanded in prison custody when he appeared before a Koforidua Circuit Tribunal charged with defrauding by false pretences.

He pleaded not guilty and would reappear on 25 April. Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Theophilus K. Nyadu told the Tribunal that in 1999 Okyere-Darko offered to sell an estate house at Adweso, near Koforidua, to Madam Gifty Ofosuhene, a nursing sister, for 120 million cedis.

According to the terms of the sale, Okyere-Darko agreed to release the keys to the house to Madam Ofosuhene on payment of half of the amount. Chief Inspector Nyadu said between November 1999 and June 2000, the Madam Ofosuhene paid 77,750,000 cedis to Okyere-Darko who handed over the keys of the house to her.

He said while the complainant was preparing to pack into the house she was told that the house had been sold to another person. When she confronted Okyere-Darko he denied selling the house to anybody.

Chief Inspector Nyadu said Madam Ofosuhene reported the case to the Police when she discovered that other people were occupying the house. Okyere-Darko also failed to refund the money to her.

Police investigations revealed that Okyere-Darko sold the house for 120 million cedis to another person and left for United States. On 13 April this year the Madina Police arrested Okyere-Darko and handed him over to the Koforidua Police for prosecution.

Mr Isaac Mills, Counsel for Okyere-Darko, offered a cheque for 50 million cedis as part payment of the amount collected by his client from Madam Ofosuhene and pleaded with the tribunal to grant his client bail. The tribunal, however, refused the bail and asked the defence counsel to produce the money at the next sitting of the court.