Accra Circuit Court 9 has denied bail to Ibrahim Damtey Botchway, a 64-year-old businessman, who is facing charges of fraud involving land transactions.
The decision, rendered by Presiding Judge, Samuel Bright Acquah, was influenced by Botchway’s ongoing trial in a similar case involving GH¢800,000.00. Ibrahim, also known as Damtey Botchwey, was arraigned on November 26, 2024, and his first appearance in the other case was on November 21.
He pleaded not guilty to charges of Conspiracy to Commit Crime: Defrauding by False Pretence and Defrauding by False Pretence. His co-accused, Asafoatse Paa Nii Osiakwan II and Okantey Shikatse, were absent during the proceedings. The court adjourned the case to December 11, 2024.
Details of the Case
According to court documents, Botchway allegedly engaged in fraudulent land transactions in February 2024. He is accused of granting conflicting rights to a 0.77-acre parcel of land at Odorkor Terrazzo to two separate entities: Chen Shuying and Union Beverages Company. This violates Section 277(2) (C) of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036).
The accused is also facing allegations dating back to 2017. He, along with Osiakwan II, a 55-year-old driver, and Shikatse, a 60-year-old mason, reportedly conspired to defraud a businessman, Alex Nartey (now deceased), of GH¢500,000.00. They promised to secure four plots of land at Ofankor but failed to deliver.
The Fraud Scheme
ASP Raymond Ackom, presenting the facts, stated that the accused persons, as members of the Odorkor Twuim Chief’s Palace, misrepresented the ownership of the land to Nartey and his wife, Jennifer. They claimed the land was embroiled in a legal dispute and requested GH¢500,000.00 to settle the matter. The payment was made through cheques and cash.
Despite a court-issued consent judgment in 2021 directing the land’s sale to a third party for at least $500,000.00, Botchway and his accomplices allegedly failed to refund the money as promised. After Nartey’s death, his wife discovered that the land had been sold and developed without her knowledge. Attempts to contact the accused were unsuccessful.
