The New Juaben South Municipal Assembly accountant, Henrietta Kotei Amponsah, has been slapped with GH¢1 million bail bond for allegedly duping a teacher in a GH¢800,000.00 land deal.
Henrietta was alleged to have committed the crime, together with her boyfriend, Samuel Ofori Gyimah.
She was dragged before an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah, on the charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and defrauding by false pretences.
The accused pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of GH¢1 million with three sureties, one to be justified by landed property, while the other two should be ordinary citizens.
Henrietta is currently facing the charges alone, as her boyfriend has gone into hiding.
She was ordered to report to the police once every week and reappear before the court on July 5, 2023.
Details
The prosecuting officer, Superintendant Augustine Yirenkye, told the court that Benedicta Boateng is a teacher and resident of Koforidua, as well as a the complainant in the case.
He added that the first accused (A1), Henrietta Kotei Amponsah, is an Accountant at the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly in Koforidua in the Eastern Region, while A2, Samuel Ofori Gyimah, is currently on the run.
According to him, sometime in the month of December 2022, A1 informed the mother of the complainant that she and her boyfriend, A2, had a parcel of land located at Pantang in Accra, which they were offering for sale.
The complainant’s mother informed her of the availability of the land, and the latter also informed her friend, Marcus Ofosu Appiah, who is domiciled in the United States of America. The court was told that Marcus also expressed interest in buying the said land.
The lovers sold the land, eight plots in all, for GH¢1,500,000.00 to the complainant on behalf of Marcus. Marcus made part payment of GH¢800,000.00 for the land through his friend, the complainant.
However, when the complainant requested for documents covering the land after payment, the accused persons could not provide them as promised.
The complainant later visited the land and observed that another person was constructing a fence wall around the same property.
The complainant reported this development on the land to the accused persons, but they took no action, since they had no title to the land.
The complainant, after realising that she had been defrauded, requested for a refund of the money, but the accused persons refused. A report was then made to the police and A1 was arrested, but A2 has since gone into hiding.
Henrietta admitted having collected GH¢190,000.00 from the complainant and not GH¢800,000.00.
A1 was charged with the offences and put before the court.
His Honour was also informed that efforts were being made to arrest A2 to assist investigations.
