Court remands tour operator and tour guide in custody

Kumasi, Feb. 1, GNA - A director of a Travel and Tour Agency and a Tour Guide were on Friday remanded in police custody by a Kumasi circuit court for defrauding an unemployed woman.

Mercy Duah Boakye, 41, the director, and Barffour Atuahene, 22, the tour guide, pleaded not guilty to the charge and will re-appear on February 28.

Police Chief Inspector J.T. Odjidja told the court that on March 6, 2004, Georgina Boateng, the complainant, heard an announcement on a local radio station to the effect that Royal Choice Travel and Tours was processing documents for people who wished to travel abroad.

The complainant, he said, therefore went to the agency and met Atuahene, who assured her during discussions that the agency could process her documents for her in a month for which he made part payment of 32 million cedis.

Chief Inspector Odjidja said the complainant was later introduced to Mercy Dua Boakye as the owner of the agency and following assurances from the owner, the complainant went ahead to make another payment to bring the total payment to 56.4 million cedis.

He said after making the second payment, however, anytime the complainant went to the agency's office, she was told that Mercy had travelled to Accra.

Chief Inspector Odjidja said by October last year, the complainant realised that the accused persons would not be able to fulfil their promise and so she made a report to the police striking force who arrested Atuahene.

Later he said, there was information that Mercy had been arrested by the police in Accra for her involvement in a similar case.