The Circuit Court in Accra, presided over by Judge Samuel Bright Acquah, has granted bail to Hamza Ali, a 47-year-old businessman, in the sum of GH¢2 million.
The bail terms include two sureties, one of which must be justified with landed property.
Ali faces charges of defrauding by false pretence, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
The charges were brought under Section 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
According to Prosecutor Raymond Akom, the accused allegedly swindled fellow businessman, Gideon Oppong of $105,000 by promising to exchange the amount into its cedi equivalent of GH¢1,627,500.
The incident occurred on May 23, 2024 at the District Business Center of Accra. Ali assured Oppong that the exchange would be handled through a foreign account tied to a Forex Bureau.
Oppong, a resident of Kokomlemle, had contacted Ali after his business partner showed interest in sending him funds.
Ali, who is based in Kasoa, provided a Bank of America account belonging to a company called P.D.R. Nneoma Inc.
Oppong’s partner then transferred the $105,000 into this account. After confirming receipt of the funds, Ali promised to transfer the cedi equivalent to Oppong.
However, after receiving the money, Ali allegedly failed to deliver the promised amount and became unreachable.
Despite several promises to pay, no funds were transferred, prompting Oppong to file a complaint with the police on July 18, 2024. Ali was arrested on July 23, 2024.
During interrogation, he admitted his involvement, but claimed that the bank account belonged to an associate named Emmanuel.
He requested more time to contact his associate, but the investigation remains ongoing. Judge Acquah has scheduled the next hearing for October 14, 2024.
