A 56-year-old trader, Florence Bondze Adofo, has allegedly pulled a fast one on a Forex Bureau operator, Chief Haruna Saley, in the sum of GH¢652,500.00.
The accused allegedly succeeded in her trade, together with two others – Abdulai Hashim and Alhaji Taminu – of which the latter is at large.
Florence and Abdulai are, therefore, facing conspiracy to commit a crime, defrauding by false pretences, and dishonestly receiving charges.
They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges and have been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Rosemary Baah Torsu.
The court slapped Florence with a bail sum of an amount of GH¢600,000.00 with three sureties, and Abdulai in a sum of GH¢100,000.00 with one surety.
Her Honour Torsu has adjourned the case to April 17, 2023, for continuation.
The full fact of the case, as presented by Inspector Cyrus E. Conduah, is that the Forex Bureau operator is the complainant.
According to him, on November 22, 2022, Florence (A1) contacted a witness in the case, Detective Corporal Thompson Abraham Ntosour, on phone that she had US$45,000 readily available and wanted someone who could buy it with Ghana cedis.
He told the court that the officer then introduced A1 (first accused) to the complainant and they agreed on GH¢652,500 for the US$45,000.
The complainant, together with the police officer, met Al at the SIC Mall car park at Makola in Accra, and the complainant handed over the money to her.
Florence, after receiving the money, demanded that the complainant should wait behind while the police officer accompanied her to Opera Square to get the US$45,000.
When Al and the police officer got to Opera Square, she asked him to wait behind an office while she goes inside to bring the said dollars.
Interestingly, A1 was said to have emerged from the said office without the US$45,000 she intended to change or the complainant’s money.
The court was told that she allegedly deceitfully told the officer that Abdulai (A2), after collecting the cedis, could not raise the US$45,000.00 and that they were expecting some dollars in no time.
The police officer then escorted Al back to the SIC Mall car park to narrate her story to the complainant.
At the car park, Al told the complainant that A2 would soon bring the anticipated dollars to the complainant. After waiting for a while and the money not forthcoming, the complainant became suspicious and quickly arrested her to the Accra Central Police Station and lodged a complaint to that effect.
At the police station an amount of GH¢45,000,00 was retrieved from her, and released to the complainant.
During investigations, Al told the police that her representation to the complainant was based on a promise she received from Alhaji Taminu (A3) who worked with A2.
She intimated further that the said Alhaji Taminu called her on phone to the effect that his boss, A2, had US$70,000.00, and was looking for persons who could buy it with Ghana cedis at a relatively low rate.
Based on this information, she became interested and contacted the complainant through the police officer.
Al, in her cautioned statement, admitted having collected the entire amount stated on the charge sheet from the complainant, and further stated that she gave the said money to A3, who was her business partner.
Abdulai was subsequently arrested, and in his cautioned statement to the police, admitted having received cash of GH¢605,000 from Al.
The prosecutor told the court that after investigations, both Al and A2 were charged with the offences.
He added that strenuous efforts were being made to apprehend Alhaji Taminu to stand trial before the court.
