Court grants a farmer 10 million cedis bail for fraud

Cape Coast, Jan. 24, GNA - A Cape Coast Circuit court on Wednesday granted Obed Arhin 36, a farmer from Twifo Kamoano, near Twifo Praso 10 million cedis bail for allegedly defrauding a businessman in the sum of one million cedis under the pretext of supplying him some timber. Arhin pleaded guilty but the court presided over by Mr Justice Beresford Acquah, deferred sentence until February 28 to enable the accused refund the money to the complainant.

Police Chief Inspector Hope Azasoo, prosecuting told the court that sometime in September last year, the complainant, a businessman at Cape Coast, told Arhin he needed some timber for his building project and Arhin promised to supply him with 200 pieces of timber boards. He said Arhin collected one million cedis as part payment for the timber boards and went into hiding, but was arrested about a month later and told the police that some of the timber boards were in the bush but it turned out to be false and after investigations charged with the offence.

Granting bail, Mr Justice Acquah said felling of trees from forest reserves was illegal and warned to deal drastically with anyone engaged in the practice. GNA