Trader in court over fraudulent breach of trust

A currency trader who allegedly dishonestly appropriated various sums of money, belonging to three traders, has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.

Mahamud Adams Sidik is alleged to have collected $14,000 and 800,000 Naira.

He is said to have asked traders to pay the above monies into a friend’s account to avert attacked by armed robbers in Nigeria where they were going to purchase items and offer them for sale in Ghana.

Sidik after collecting the money went into hiding.

Charged with three counts of fraudulent breach of trust, Sidik has pleaded not guilty.

The Court has admitted Sidik to bail in the sum of GH¢300,000 with two sureties to be justified.

The matter has been adjourned to November 25, 2024.

The prosecution, led by Inspector Mina Kwafo, told the Court that the complainants, Wango Abdul Karim, Twaficatu Alhassan, and Rakia Urman, are businesswomen and men residing at Accra New Town and Sapeiman, all in Accra, respectively.

Prosecutors said Sidik also resided in Accra New Town.

In 2022, 2023 and 2024, Sidik collected cash of $1,000 $13,000 and 800,000 Naira, respectively, from the three complainants.

According to the prosecution, Sidik told the complainants that he was sending the money through his friend’s bank account in Abidjan and Nigeria to avoid any armed robbery attack and that they would withdraw the money when they got to their destinations.

The prosecution said the complainants were travelling to Abidjan and Nigeria to buy goods and sell them in Ghana.

The Court heard that based on the false representation, Sidik succeeded in obtaining the money from the complainants but failed to honour his promise and all efforts made to get the money back had proved futile.

The prosecution said Sidik was nabbed at Ashiaman and in his caution statement he admitted the offence in the presence of an independent witness.