Man accused of defrauding businessman of over GH¢1million in court

A businessman has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court over a charge of defrauding a businessman of 1,141,590 cedis and US$1,900.

Abdul Hayyu Oudou is said to have collected the monies from Gao Yao Ben, a Chinese businessman, to pay for the supplies of oil and printing materials from Singapore and China, respectively, on his behalf, but failed to do so.

Oudou, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges of defrauding by false pretences and forgery of official documents.

The Court, presided over by Afia Owusua Appiah, consequently, admitted the accused person to bail in the sum of GHC 1 million cedis with three sureties to be justified.

The court also asked the accused person to be reporting to the case investigator and deposit his passport and Ghana card with the Court’s Registry.

The accused person is expected to reappear on November 6, 2023.

The Prosecution, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Coleman Afesi, said Oudou was an operator in the forex bureau business.

Oudou had been in the “money changing business” in Ghana, changing Ghana cedis into dollars for about five years now.

The court heard that in May 2023, Gao contracted SINOPEC Lubricant (Singapore) PTE, Limited and Shangai Janhong New Material Technology Company Limited to supply him with oil and printing materials from Singapore and China, respectively.

He, therefore, discussed this with the Oudou who promised to facilitate the transfer of the money to the companies on his behalf.

It said on May 17, 2023, the accused person demanded and took GHC 1,141, 590 and $1,900 from Gao under the pretext of facilitating payment into the account of the companies.

The prosecutor said Oudou sent his brother, one Alhassan Adamu, to go with Gao to the Makola branch of a commercial bank where GHS1,141, 590 and $1,900 were withdrawn and handed over to Alhassan Adamu, who in turn gave the money to Oudou.

According to prosecution, the “accused person who was poised to unlawfully appropriate the complainant’s money later gave him fake swift receipts indicating that payments of $43,800 and $60,000 had been made by him, on behalf of the complainant.

The Court heard that Gao on March 1, 2023, called Oudou with a private number and took $30,000 from him.

The prosecution said Gao, however, refuted those allegations.

It said Oudou admitted to receiving GHC1, 141,590 and $1,900 from Gao but alleged that he in turn gave the monies to his friend, named Frank, who rather gave him the fake receipts.

It said the accused person informed the Police that he knew where Frank’s office at a bank was at Community One.

When the Police proceeded to the place (bank), it was gathered that the bank had moved from the place five years ago, and the bank had been housed at a different location.

The Prosecution said when investigations were extended to the new location of the bank, it turned out that there were only females working at the MoneyGram section.