A National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) employee, Mawuyiram Emmanuel Kojo Asai, 43, and a businessman, Jonas Darpoh, 34, have been granted bail totalling GH¢2.6 million, by the Circuit Court in Dansoman.
The two are accused of defrauding a Chinese national of GH¢1,240,000 in a land transaction.
Both accused persons pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and defrauding by false pretences under Sections 23(1) and 131 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Presiding Judge, Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit granted bail of GH¢1,300,000 to each accused, with three sureties each.
Two of the sureties must be Public Servants earning at least GH¢10,000 monthly and one must provide title deeds equivalent to the bail amount.
Additionally, the accused must deposit their Ghana Cards at the Court Registry and report weekly to the police station until further notice.
The court referred the case to the Attorney General for advice, citing the significant amount involved.
Application for bail
The Prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Nuarko, opposed the bail application, arguing that the accused had failed to cooperate during investigations.
It was revealed that after being granted police inquiry bail, the accused persons failed to report to the police until criminal summons were issued.
The Prosecution argued that the accused posed a flight risk and should remain in custody to facilitate investigations.
Defense Counsel Edwin Osei Boateng deferred to the court’s discretion, emphasising that the accused persons were willing to comply with all bail conditions.
Allegations
According to the Prosecutor, the complainant, Beipeng Lei, a Chinese national residing in Weija, purchased 11.46 acres of land in Dawhenya from Jonas Darpoh between 2021 and 2024 for GH¢1,240,000.
The payment was made in instalments. The accused later informed the complainant that there were ownership disputes over the land and warned him not to access it.
Suspicious of fraud, the complainant reported the matter to the police on September 19, 2024, leading to the arrest and investigation of the accused.
During investigations, the accused acknowledged receiving the funds for the land, but failed to provide the necessary documentation.
They promised to submit the documents by October 4, 2024, but did not fulfill this commitment. Further investigations revealed that the land sold to the complainant was owned by another party.
Current Status
The accused have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and defrauding by false pretences.
The case has been adjourned to April 23, 2025 to allow further investigations and legal advice from the Attorney General.
