Two men accused of defrauding businessman granted bail

Two men, who allegedly took GH₵ 720,000.00 from the Managing Director of DBS Industry under the pretext of assisting him to purchase three tipper trucks and one backhoe machine but failed, have been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court.

The accused persons are said to have also taken a cheque with a face value of GH₵ 20,000.00 under the pretext of transferring a contract to build a hospital awarded by the government to Obenewaa and Son’s Limited from the Managing Director of DBS.

The accused persons are Mr Ebenezer Kwame Boadi, a self-styled businessman and Mr Frank A-Ugidimah-Ananvura Aborigo.

They were jointly held for conspiracy to commit a crime and two counts of defrauding by false pretence.

The plea of the accused person was not taken as the prosecution led by Police Chief Inspector Samuel Ahiabor informed the Court, presided over by Mrs Afia Owusuaa Appiah, that investigation was not complete.

The Court, therefore, admitted the accused persons to bail in the sum of GH₵ 800,000.00 each with three sureties each.

It directed that one of the sureties be justified with landed property, meanwhile, their accomplice Mike is currently at large.

The matter has been adjourned to March 15, 2023.

The prosecution said the complainant Mr Daniel Boateng was the Managing Director of DBS Industries Limited, Accra, while the accused persons were residents of Achimota Mile -7 and El-Wak respectively.

It said in April 2021, Boadi led Aborigo to the complainant and they convinced him that they had been awarded Government’s Agenda 111 project contract and that they were selling the said contract.

The prosecution said the accused persons presented a purported contract document in the name of Obenewaa and Sons Limited.

It said the complainant developed interest in the contract but requested the accused persons to legally transfer the contract into his company’s name.

The prosecution said the accused persons promised they could do the changes and, therefore, collected GH₵20.000.00 from him to facilitate the changes.

It said the complainant allegedly issued an Absa bank cheque with a face value of GH₵381,465.00 to the accused persons.

The prosecution said Boadi again convinced the complainant that he and Mike (currently at large) were tasked by national security operatives to look for prospective buyers for three tipper trucks and one backhoe machine at Tema Habour for auction at GH₵720,000.00.

It said Boadi convinced the complainant by sending him pictures of the purported trucks and the backhoe machines via Whatsapp messages.

The prosecution said Boadi, therefore, requested for the said amount to be given to him to pay it into the auction sales account in advance before the real auction day.

It said a week later, Boadi went back to the complainant to collect the money and the complainant issued an Ecobank cheque with the face value of GH₵720,000.00 for the equipment.

The prosecution said the accused persons after cashing out the money allegedly issued receipts to the complainant and had promised to deliver the vehicles within one week.

It said the accused persons after taking the money, failed to fulfil their promises and went into hiding and that efforts made by the complainant to get the accused persons proved futile.

The prosecution said on February 14, 2023, the case was reported to the police, leading to the arrest of Boadi on February 17, 2023, while Aborigo reported himself to the Police on February 20, 2023.