Businessman in court for stealing

An Accra Circuit Court, has charged Victor Morgan Agbotui, a businessman for forgery of document, fraudulent breach of trust, stealing and uttering forged document.

Agbotui has pleaded not guilty to all the four counts and is to reappear on August 27.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Stephen Adjei, prosecuting told the court that the accused forged a deed of assignment on April 30, 2011, which he used to obtain a land title certificate to transfer ownership of Pristella Plaza, a two- storey building consisting of 6 shops and two offices located at Kokomlemle, Accra, property of Pretella Boateng to Morgan-Haiz Company Limited, which he knew was not genuine.

Ms Boateng, the complainant, is a Ghanaian based in the United Kingdom and owner of Pristella Plaza.

ASP Adjei said the property was built on a 0.29- acre land. Also on the same land and attached to the Pristella Plaza is a three-bedroom apartment.

The building was built by the complainant after she acquired a freehold interest in the land in 1989.

Agbotui, who claimed to be a businessman and also staff of the Presidency in 2010 met the complainant, while in Ghana and entered into a relationship with him.

Based on this relationship, the accused started assisting the complainant in the management of her tenants in the Pristella Plaza.

They met a lawyer, also a witness in the case, to regularise the tenancy agreements between the complainant and her tenants.

The accused became known to all persons around the complainant including the tenants at Pristella Plaza.

In April, 2011, when the complainant was returning to the United Kingdom she left her important and valuable belongings in the care of the accused who she trusted as a person she was cohabiting with.

The complainant’s belongings left with the accused are; one Honda CRV V, documents on her Pristella Plaza property, a house under construction at Sowutuom, keys to her house and gold ornaments such as wedding and engagement rings, earrings, necklace, pendals and bangles valued at 4,700 Euros (GH¢ 32, 900).

The documents were to enable the accused to regularise her agreements with the tenants in the Pristella Plaza and also for safe-keeping.

The complainant, while in the United Kingdom remained in communication with the accused both as her concubine and in respect of the properties.

However while the complainant was away, the accused person started exercising control over the properties, particularly, Pristella Plaza falsely pretending to be working in the interest of the complainant.

Complainant was informed of difficulties encountered by the accused in the collection of rent from the tenants. She was told by the accused of how he took some of the tenants to the Rent Control Department and later to the Rent Court.

The accused person in the course of these actions invited complainant to sign a document to empower him pursue these actions on her behalf.

Unknown to the complainant, the accused person had prepared a Deed of Assignment transferring complainants interest in the Pristella Plaza building, together with the three-bedroom apartment to himself under the name Morgan Haiz Company Limited.

In August, 2011, complainant arrived from the United Kingdom and without further consideration, signed the document.

The Deed of Assignment was witnessed by three persons namely Fred Tottimeh, Doudu Laud Nii Otoo for the accused and George Baah Junior for the complainant.

Tottimeh and Otoo claimed they were employees of the accused. It was also established the Baah was the clerk to a lawyer engaged by the accused.

Agbotui presented the Deed of Assignment which he fraudulently presented to the Land Title Registry, Accra.

On February 7, 2013, a title certificate was issued transferring title of the Pristella Plaza to Victor Morgan Agbotui’s Morgan-Haiz Company Limited.

In June, 2014 the complainant realising strange developments in their relationship, returned to Ghana and demanded the return of her valuables including the Honda CRV and the title documents.

The accused person returned the vehicle and documents on the uncompleted building at Sowutuom. Agbotui however, retained the documents on the Pristella Plaza and the gold ornaments.

After further efforts to retrieve the documents failed, complainant made a report to the police and the accused was arrested.

Accused during investigations admitted that, he was in an amorous relationship with the complainant based upon which she left her vehicle, jewelries and title documents with him before travelling to the United Kingdom.

Accused however added that, the complainant later sold the Pristella Plaza to him at GH¢ 1 million.

A lawyer for the accused disclosed that, he disengaged his services to Agbotui when he detected that, the accused fraudulently procured a Deed of Assignment to transfer title to the Pristella Plaza belonging to the complainant.

Agbotui refused to comment on the where about of the jewelries kept with him.

After investigations, he was charged with the offences.