A Kumasi Circuit Court has sentenced a 26-year-old driver to three years imprisonment in hard labour for duping a police officer of an amount of GH¢1,200.00.
George Oduro, alias “Atta Kojo,” had taken the money under the pretext of renting a room for him at Lobito, a suburb of Kumasi.
He was charged with defrauding by false pretence and pleaded not guilty to the crime.
Police Chief Inspector Comfort Baffour-Kyei told the court, presided over by Justice Emmanuel Amo-Yartey that, the complainant, Police Detective Corporal John Danso is stationed at the Sefwi-Wiawso Divisional Headquarters in the Western Region.
In August last year, the complainant, who was looking for a room in Kumasi for his children, was introduced to the convict by an estate agent.
Oduro claimed to be the landlord of a house at Lobito and offered to rent him a room and they settled on an amount GH¢1,200.00, which was paid to him through the agent.
The prosecution said Oduro later took the complainant to the said room for inspection, after which he handed over the keys to him.
Cpl Danso decided to move his children in and that was when trouble began. The convict’s mother – the owner of the property, confronted him and told him that Oduro was not the landlord.
The convict, realizing danger, went into hiding and was arrested on December 6, last year.
He admitted taking the money in his caution statement but could not refund it.
