Nigerian arraigned for defrauding

A 20 year-old Nigerian, Kelvin Ayanka, on trial for fraud, has been remanded in prison custody by the Tarkwa Circuit Court.

He pleaded not guilty and would re-appear before the court on October 28. Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah, told the court, presided by Mr. Justice Obeng Asante, that the complainant was a student who lived with his parents at Cyanide, a suburb of Tarkwa, while the accused was a trader at Kasoa, near Accra.

He said on April 29, this year, the complainant received a text message on her mobile phone indicating that she had won ¢10,000 from MTN mobile money promotion.

Chief Inspector Amponsah said the text message asked that the complainant to send MTN recharge cards worth ¢1,000 before a code would be given to her for the withdrawal of the money.

He said the complainant followed up and called the phone number that was used to send the text message and was received by the accused, who claimed to be one Kofi Owusu, the Manager of MTN Promotions in Accra.

Chief Inspector Amponsah said the complainant then sent MTN recharge cards worth GH¢1,000 to the accused on two different MTN numbers, but the accused demanded to have sex with the complainant before he would release the code for the withdrawal of the promotion money to her.

He said the complainant sensing danger, made a report to the Police at Tarkwa.

Chief Inspector Amponsah said at about 0730 hours on October 3, the complainant called the accused on phone and explained to him that she could not travel to Accra because of her busy schedule and pleaded with him to visit her at Tarkwa.

He said when Kelvin got to the Tarkwa Main Lorry Station, he called the complainant on phone and described the attire he was wearing to her.

Chief Inspector Amponsah said the Police, together with the complainant’s father, who were around the station monitoring the accused person, arrested him and took him to the police station.

He said at the Police Station, the accused gave his name as Kelvin Ayanka and denied being Kofi Owusu, as he had mentioned to the complainant earlier on.

Chief Inspector Amponsah said after investigation, the accused was charged with the offence.