The Circuit Court in Accra, presided over by Her Honour Basilia Adjei-Tawiah, has remanded two foreign nationals and granted bail to a third accused person in a case involving an alleged attempt to defraud a Cameroonian national of over half a million dollars, in a fake gold deal.
The three accused persons – Alpha Yagouba Diallo, 34, and Aboubacar Sidik Sanoh, 50, both Guinean nationals and Oluwatosin Macdonald Onanuga, a Nigerian resident in Ghana, are facing charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and defrauding by false pretences, contrary to Sections 23(1) and 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
While Diallo (A1) and Sanoh (A2) have been remanded into custody, Onanuga (referred to in court as A3) pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of GH¢50,000 – with two sureties.
One of the sureties must justify the bail amount with either movable or immovable property and both must be residents in Ghana.
The court also ordered Onanuga to deposit his travel documents, including a valid passport, at the court registry and report every Tuesday to the case investigator.
The court directed the registrar to write to the Judicial Service headquarters to request a French interpreter, as Diallo and Sanoh have opted to communicate in French.
The case has been adjourned to August 28, 2025.
Facts of the Case
According to the prosecution, led by ASP Christopher Asante Ahoku, the complainant, Basil Njingti Fonkor, a Cameroonian based in Dubai, alleged that on August 5, 2025 while transiting through Kotoka International Airport from The Gambia to Dubai, he raised an alarm leading to the arrest of Diallo and Sanoh.
The two were allegedly attempting to flee with a box that was purported to contain 10 kilograms of gold.
Fonkor claimed he had paid US$62,000 as part payment for the gold, which had been sold to him by the accused in The Gambia, for a total agreed price of US$650,000.
Upon arriving at KIA and while queuing for arrival processing, the two accused attempted to abscond with the box.
They were intercepted with the help of Ghana Immigration Service and later handed over to the police on August 8, 2025.
Police investigations revealed that although Diallo and Sanoh claimed the box contained gold, it was found to hold only three ordinary hammer heads, confirmed by M&C Gold and Precious Metals Laboratory in East Legon.
Onanuga, the third accused, reportedly told police that he was contacted by a man known only as “Kieta” from The Gambia, to receive Diallo and Sanoh in Accra and arrange their accommodation.
However, investigators argue that since the layover in Accra was only four hours, there was no legitimate need for the two to exit the airport – suggesting that Onanuga’s involvement was part of a larger plan to defraud the complainant.
According to the police, investigations are ongoing.
