Court sentences businessman for issuing false USD9,388 cheque

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a businessman to a fine of GH¢2,400.00 for issuing a false cheque with the phase value USD9,388, the equivalent of GH¢36,143.80 after it had convicted him.

Nii Noikuma Tettey would in default, serve a jail term of six months. He denied the charge and went through a full trial.

Mrs Ruby Naa Aryeetey, who presided over the Court, in sentencing the convict, considered the fact that Tettey had pleaded to pay the amount involved.

Meanwhile, the Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of one Kwabena Agiri, his accomplice, who is at large.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Christine Bansah, told the Court that Mr Michael Gyadu Appiah is the complainant in the case and a resident of Madina, whilst Tettey and Agiri are businessmen living at East Legon, a suburb in Accra.

The Prosecution said the complainant is the owner of a travel and tour company.

She said in April 2015, Tettey and Agiri introduced themselves to the complainant’s company as business partners and gave their company’s name as Premium Works Consortium Limited, who wanted to do business with his company by buying plane tickets through the complainant’s company for their business trips.

Chief Inspector Bansah said they then gave photocopies of their international passports to confirm their identities and then requested for tickets for themselves as well as some for their partners to enable them to travel to other African countries from Ghana.

The Prosecution said on May 22, 2015, they issued a post-dated cheque number 000054 for USD9,388 to be cashed later to cover some air tickets cost.

The Prosecution said on the morning of the said date on the cheque, the two accused called the complainant to ask him not to present the cheque as they would be paying in cash, but failed to honour that promise.

The Prosecution said instead, the accused presented another cheque with a GH¢100,000.00 face value and explained that it would enable them to buy more tickets for their future travels.

Chief Inspector Bansah said they asked the complainant to present it on September 4, 2015, and again stopped the complainant from presenting it on the due date.

She said on September 25, the same year, Tettey and Agiri asked Mr Appiah to present the cheque with the USD9,388 phase value instead, but it was dishonoured by the bank.

The Prosecution said all efforts to get the two to repay the money has proved futile, thus, on December 9, 2015, a report was made to the police and Tettey was arrested.

The prosecution said Tettey admitted the offence in his cautioned statement and further told the police that Agiri had travelled to Sierra Leone to collect money from their business partners to pay for the debt.