Transport owner jailed 15 years for fraud

Accra, March 2, GNA - A 55-year-old transport owner who swindled a woman of GH¢100,000 under the pretext of selling to her a house at East=

Legon in Accra, was on Tuesday sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court. Prosper Akabuto aka Mr. Baeta, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and defrauding by false pretences, but the court at the end of the trial foun= d him guilty and convicted him accordingly.

His accomplices, Robert Mensah, Richard Amuzu, one Emmanuel and one Edem are all at large.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) P.K. Frimpong said the complainant was Mrs. Theresa Kyeremanteng, a Secretary.

In June 2008, the complainant saw an advert in the dailies offering for sale a house at Spintex road and attached to the advert was a contact number.

Prosecution said the complainant called the contact number and Richa= rd Amuzu told her that the house had been sold, but that there was another o= ne at East Legon belonging to the accused being offered for sale. It said the complainant arranged and met the accused and the other accomplices at the residence of Mensah. In the course of the meeting the accused introduced himself as Mr. Baeta, owner of the house at East Legon= .. Prosecution said the complainant was led to the house at East Legon,=

where she was introduced to Edem as the caretaker of the house. Later the complainant met accused for negotiations and settled on GH¢250,000 as the price of the property.

The prosecution said the accused demanded and collected GH¢100,000= as part payment before handing over the title documents to her. A search conducted at the Land Title Registry confirmed that the property belonged to Mr. Baeta who turned out to be the accused. Prosecution said after the payment of GH¢100,000 the complainant w= ent to the house only to meet a witness who informed her that the house was n= ot for sale.

It said the complainant rushed to the accused's house but did not me= et him, and later reported the matter to the police who arrested the accused= .. Prosecution said during police investigations, the accused admitted the offence and mentioned his accomplices; Mensah, Amuzu, Emmanuel and Edem.