Social Court Fraud

Court grants an evangelist 10 million cedis bail, for fraud Cape Coast, July 8, GNA- A 35-year-old evangelist at Cape Coast was on Tuesday granted a 10 million cedis bail with surety to be justified by a Cape Coast circuit court for allegedly defrauding a trader. Evangelist John Bernard Owusu-Ansah pleaded not guilty to fraud and would re-appear on Friday July 11.

Police Chief Inspector Augustine Amonoo, told the court that sometime in June, last year, the evangelist told one Madam Charlotte Essien that he was selling his two-bedroom house at Adisadel Estate, a suburb at Cape Coast, for eight million cedis to enable him to raise money to process his travelling documents.

He said Madam Essien who did not show interest later told one Ms Dorcas Mensah who agreed to purchase the house and after negotiations she agreed to pay the eight million cedis.

Chief inspector Amonoo said Ms Mensah, therefore, gave Madam Essien half of the amount in the presence of Owusu-Ansah but madam Essien kept the money.

In her evidence to the court Madam Essien said three-days after the transactions, Owusu-Ansah came to her house with a certain man and introduced him as the one who was assisting him to secure the visa and, therefore, requested that the four million cedis be given to him.

Madam Essien said she agreed and gave the money to them but later, Owusu Ansah returned to tell her that the money was short of 500,000 cedis, which she agreed to pay after a lengthy argument.

According to her when Owusu-Ansah demanded for the remaining amount she asked him to accompany her to the State Housing Corporation (SHC) to ascertain the ownership of the house.

At the SHC it came to light that the house belonged to Owusu-Ansah's late granduncle who bequeathed it to his children and upon this Madam Essien demanded the money back.

The evangelist told her that the man who collected the amount had bolted with it.

She, therefore, reported the matter to the police and Owusu-Ansah was arrested.