Timber Merchant in ?29m Fraud Case

A KUMASI-based timber merchant has appeared before a Kumasi circuit tribunal accused of defrauding a driver of an amount of ?29 million under the pretext of sending him to Canada.

The accused is Nana Baffour Awuah, 54, while the complainant, Stephen Akorsah, is a driver and resident of Pramso in the Ashanti Region.

His Lordship Mr. V. C. Senu remanded the accused in prison custody to reappear before the tribunal on October 2, this year.

Presenting the facts of the case to the tribunal, Chief Inspector I. K. Afful, prosecuting, said sometime last year, the complainant had the desire to travel to Canada and was introduced to the accused by a friend.

According to the prosecution, the accused promised to prepare all the travelling documents to enable the complainant travel to Canada and charged him ?29 million.

Chief Inspector Afful stated that the complainant paid the money to the accused who promised to obtain all the documents to enable the complainant travel to Canada.

According to the prosecutor, at a given date and time, the accused took the complainant to Kotoka International Airport where he presented the travelling documents to him, which the complainant later found to be fake.

Chief Inspector Afful said the complainant came back to the accused in Kumasi and confronted him on the fake documents and asked the accused to refund his money.

According to the prosecution, the accused then pleaded with the complainant to give him sometime to pay the money, but he failed to honour his promise.

The case was reported to the police, who arrested the accused and after investigation arraigned him before the court.