Self-acclaimed legal consultant on bail for defrauding family

An Accra Circuit Court has granted a GH¢150,000.00 bail to a self-acclaimed legal consultant for allegedly appropriated GH¢335,000.00 vested in him as a trustee by his family.

The court ordered that he gets two sureties to be justified, one of whom must be a public servant earning not less than GH¢2,500.00.

Augustus Dowuona pleaded not guilty to stealing and defrauding by false pretense and will make his next appearance on March 26.

Police Chief Inspector Gulliver Kwabena Tenkorang told the Court presided over by Mrs Afia Owusua Appiah, that Mr Ebenezer Philip Quartey, the complainant is a pensioner and a resident of Tema-Community Two, in the Greater Accra Region.

He said the accused also lives at Dansoman in Accra.

The Prosecution said the complainant is the head of the Tetteh Ngwah Buam Family of Akuse, of which the accused is a member.

He said about two years ago, one Captain Moses Tetteh, an investor and a witness in the case, approached the family to lease its land located at Akuse, which he intended to use as golf field.

Chief Inspector Tenkorang said there was an agreement between him and the family that part of the 78 acres of land, would be leased to him at GH¢1,560,000.00.

Captain Tetteh agreed to make an initial part payment of GH¢400,000.00 but the family’s bank account was dormant at the time, so the complainant, who was introduced to the Captain by the accused, suggested to the family members that the money could be paid into his account.

He said on May 12, 2017, the complainant, together with the buyer went to the Dansoman branch of the Stanbic Bank and paid the money into the accused’s account.

The Prosecution said the accused on February 2, 2018, went to the Captain alone without informing the family and collected an additional GH¢200,000.00.

Prosecution said Captain Tetteh also paid GH¢200,000.00 to the Dokutse Attah Ablah family, who claimed ownership of the parcel of land, bringing the payment to GH¢800,000.00.

He said the family later realised the accused could not account for GH¢335,000.00 of the monies paid into his account.

Prosecution said during investigations, it came to light that Dowuona was not a legal consultant as he had earlier projected to the family.