Farhad Omedi, a United Arab Emirates citizen, has allegedly been defrauded by two Nigerians and a Ghanaian to the tune of US$60,000.00 in gold deal.
The suspects have been named as Jacob Sunday Olatunji, 39 (driver/engineer), Israel Olawale Omoley, 51 an Architect and Ghanaian Baffour Abraham.
Currently, the police have managed to arrest the Nigerians, who were residing at Dawhenya and Lakeside respectively.
The two have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit a crime and defrauding by force pretence, when they appeared before the Accra Circuit Court, presided over by His Honour Samuel Bright Acquah, relieving His Honour Isaac Addo.
The court, on February 13, 2024 admitted the accused persons to bail in the sum of      GH¢1 million each and ordered that they deposit their passport with the registry of the court.
The case will be recalled on February 20, 2024.
How it all happened
Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer narrated to the court that sometime in the month of January, this year, one Abass, who is currently in Dubai, introduced Omedi, the Complainant, to Baffour Abraham, now at large, as a gold dealer living in Ghana.
After the introduction, the two started having conversation. Baffour sent the Complainant an invitation visa in the name Mpohor Mines Company, in the Western Region, to enable him travel to Ghana to enable commencement of their business.
On January 22, 2024 the Complainant arrived in Ghana and was received by Jacob Sunday Olatunji, who drove him from the airport to Baffour.
Without wasting time, Sunday and Baffour took the Complainant to On Time Security Company, at Achimota, in Accra, where 30 kilos of gold bars were shown to the Complainant in an effort to convince him that Baffour was a real gold dealer.
Five kilos of gold were randomly picked out of the 30 kilos by Baffour, in the presence of the Complainant for refinery test, which same proved positive when tested at Sewia Mining Limited, also at Achimota.
Sunday and Baffour succeed in convincing Omedi, but he could only afford a kilogramme of the gold at the cost of US$60,000.00.
All arrangements for the supposed gold to be exported by air were put in motion and on January 30, 2024 Omedi, together with Baffour, boarded Changan CS55 vehicle with registration number GW 1271-20 and driven by Sunday to the Kotoka International Airport, alongside their precious cargo.
Upon arriving at the Airport, Baffour called three unknown Customs officers to facilitate the documentation process and to enable the Complainant to travel with the gold to Dubai.
The said Customs officers came for the gold and promised to deliver same to the Complainant at his final departure stage.
The Complainant was convinced after seeing the customs officers in uniform and moreover, was not scared for having his US$60,000.00 in the letter box of the above mentioned vehicle on-board by Sunday as the driver.
Baffour was said to have left with the Customs officers, but the Complainant, after waiting for several minutes became worried and came down from the vehicle to watch around and to make a call.
Immediately he got down from the vehicle, Sunday sped off, together with the US$60,000. All efforts made by the Complainant to trace them proved futile.
On March 2, 2024 a case was made to the police and intelligence led to the arrest of Sunday and Israel Olawale Omoley at their hideout in a Hotel at Dawhenya.
A search conducted on them led to the retrieval of five metal bars in yellowish colour and a small safe, which contained an amount of US$3,500 and GH¢30,000.00 in Israel’s room.
The court was told that during interrogation, Israel stated that the metal bars were given to him by Baffour, as well as the US$3,500.00.
C/Ins Lawer said efforts are underway to apprehend Baffour, adding that the case is still under investigation.
