A 50-year-old businessman, Gabriel Smith Mensah, who is reportedly involved in farming and architectural engineering, has been arraigned before the Dansoman Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding a real estate director of GH¢700,000 under the pretext of selling him land at Adenkrebi, in the Eastern Region. He later refunded GH¢200,000 to the complainant.
Gabriel Mensah, a resident of Elmina in the Central Region, is facing two counts: defrauding by false pretences and issuing a false cheque, contrary to sections 131 and 313 A(1)(b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) respectively.
The complainant, Raphael Kwaku Owusu Agyemang, is the Legal Representative and Director of Deterra Realty Limited, based at Kanda in Accra.
According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Emelia Mensah, the complainant had expressed interest in acquiring an additional 10-acre parcel of land at Adenkrebi, from one Mrs. Abba Hayford Pirrung, a landowner previously introduced to him by the accused.
Court documents indicate that in June 2023, after a successful earlier land transaction facilitated by the accused, Agyemang contacted Mensah again to purchase more land from the same property.
However, this time, Gabriel Mensah allegedly collected GH¢700,000 from the complainant without the knowledge or consent of the actual landowner and subsequently went into hiding.
In an attempt to settle the matter, the accused is said to have issued a Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG) cheque valued at GH¢700,000 on December 18, 2023 to be cashed on December 21, 2023.
However, when the cheque was presented, it was dishonoured. Investigations later revealed that the accused had no funds in the account at the time the cheque was issued.The complainant pursued the matter, and in 2023, Mensah allegedly refunded GH¢200,000 before disappearing again.
A formal complaint was filed on June 21, 2024, prompting an investigation that led to Mensah’s arrest at his hideout at Abirem-Agona, Central Region, on September 12, 2025.
Gabriel Mensah pleaded not guilty to both charges when he appeared before Her Honour BasiliaAdjei-Tawiah at the Dansoman Circuit Court.
He has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢100,000, with two sureties to be justified. The sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.
As part of the bail conditions, Mensah is required to report to the case investigator once every week. The prosecution has been directed to file disclosures by September 27, 2025 ahead of a potential Case Management Conference (CMC).The case has been adjourned.
