Lovers in court for fraud

Kade, July 15, GNA - An unmarried coupe who illegally sold a piece of land belonging to the woman's mother were arraigned before the Kade District Magistrate Court on Tuesday.

Asabea Christiana, a seamstress and her boyfriend, Akom Samuel, a driver, pleaded not guilty to two counts of defrauding by false pretences and by false representations. The two who succeeded in obtaining GHC 1,500 from the complainant, Kate Anorbea, would re-appear on July 16.

Police Inspector Francis Cobbina, prosecuting, told the court that Anorbea, resident at Subi near Kade, needed a piece of land at Kade to build a house.

He said on June 15, the complainant was informed by her sister that the lovers had a plot to sell. The prosecutor said as a result, Asabea and Akom met the complainant at her sister's house and bargained for the sale of the plot, which was fixed at GHC 2000.

He said the complainant paid an advance of GHC 1,500 and the two released documents on the plot to her. The prosecutor said it was later discovered that the actual owner of the plot, who happened to be the mother of Asabea, never instructed her daughter to sell the land.

This came to light when the complainant contacted Asabea's mother. On June 28, Asabea and Akom went to collect the balance of GHC 500 but were arrested and handed over to the police.

They admitted the offence during Police investigations and said they had invested the money into a business venture in order to make profit. They claimed that they used the money to buy electrical goods and mobile phones among others, which they intended to sell for profit and that the items had been kept at Nkwantanang. On June 30, Akom led the police to his room at Nkwantanang and produced a double bed mattress, a 21-inch Hitachi television set, a 14-inch Proline TV set, one standing fan, three mobile phones, two DVD decks and a sum of GHC 100.

He said he used the money to purchase the items at the cost of GHC 670 but could not account for the rest of the money.