State to present first witness in fraud case

An Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, on Wednesday adjourned the case involving Kafarov Ramazan, a Russian businessman, to enable the prosecution present the first witness in court.

The judge ordered the prosecution to collaborate with the registrar of the court to arrange for an interpreter, since the witness would be a Russian National.

The judge also said calling witnesses in a case should not be in any particular order.

The accused person is currently on a GH¢6 million bail for fraud.

The accused person, who has pleaded not guilty through an interpreter, is also to deposit his passport with the registrar of the court and reappear on April 20.

He is to deposit his passport with the registrar of the court.

Presenting the facts to the court earlier, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Abraham Annor said on January 28, last year, Interpol Accra and the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters received a message from INTERPOL Moscow, Russia, requesting the police authorities to locate and arrest the accused person.

He said the accused person is wanted in Russia for the offence of defrauding by false pretence.

DSP Annor said, according to INTERPOL Moscow, on May 4, 2011, the accused person defrauded one V.V Rudenko, a Russian national of two million dollars.

He said the accused person was under the pretext of taking a loan from the complainant for the purpose of joint business development and deliberately deceived Rudenko to transfer the amount to his personal bank account, although he knew very well that he does not intend to meet the undertaken obligation.

The prosecution said all efforts made by the complainant to retrieve his money proved futile since the accused refused to communicate with him via phone calls or meet him.

Consequently, Judge E.A Levehnko, a judge at the Oktyabrsky District Court in Rostovon Don issued a warrant dated March 31, last year for his arrest.

He said on July 14, the same year, an INTERPOL Red notice was issued against the accused person and on February 24, 2015, personnel from the INTERPOL unit in Ghana, in collaboration with officers from the BNI, arrested Ramazan at his residence in East Legon.