The Dansoman Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, has granted bail to a 38-year-old interior decorator, Salih Arab, who has been charged with defrauding by false pretence in connection with a $94,000 contract for interior renovation works in Takoradi.
According to the Prosecution by Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder, the complainant, Karen Ama Moses, a teacher based in Sekondi in the Western Region, filed the case on behalf of her brother, Ari Ben Moses, who resides in Australia.
Thus, Ari Ben Moses had constructed a five-bedroom storey building for his parents in Takoradi and engaged the accused in June 2023 to carry out comprehensive interior decoration and furnishing works.
After visiting the property, Salih Arab allegedly claimed parts of the building were structurally defective and posed a risk of collapse. Alarmed by this, Mr Moses instructed Arab to coordinate with a qualified technician to address the issue.
However, Salih Arab reportedly assured the complainant’s brother that he could carry out both the renovation and the decoration himself and promised to complete the work by December 2023.
On this assurance, Mr Moses transferred $94,000 to the accused. Salih Arab began minor renovations using materials already on site, including sand, cement and stones.
He then abandoned the project without procuring new materials or completing significant work.
When the complainant realized progress had stalled, she alerted her brother.
A Quantity Surveyor was engaged in September 2023 to assess the situation. The Surveyor confirmed that only a minimal portion of the contracted work had been executed.
A subsequent meeting in Accra between the accused, the complainant’s brother and the Surveyor ended with Arab admitting he had not used the funds as agreed.
A partial refund of GH¢200,000 was made by the accused, and he pledged to return an additional $50,000 in five monthly instalments beginning February 2025. However, no further payments were made.
A professional valuation conducted by the Architectural and Engineering Services Limited in January 2024 estimated the completed work to be worth GH¢108,527.81 – significantly less than the amount received. With an outstanding value of GH¢858,733 – a formal complaint was lodged with the police, resulting in the accused’s arrest.
At the court hearing, the accused pleaded not guilty. His legal counsel argued for bail, citing his fixed place of abode in East Legon, his Ghanaian family ties despite being a foreign national, and his willingness to stand trial. Counsel also maintained the case was civil rather than criminal, describing the matter as a contractual dispute.
Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder, leading the prosecution, opposed the bail application. He argued that the accused poses a flight risk due to his foreign nationality and that his assistance was required in ongoing police investigations at the building site.
The prosecution also hinted at the possibility of amending the charge sheet and requested that the case be forwarded to the Attorney-General due to the financial magnitude involved.
Despite the prosecution’s objection, the court granted bail in the sum of GH¢650,000 with three sureties – all of whom must be public servants, one backed by title deeds.
The accused was also ordered to deposit his passport and report weekly to the police. The case has been adjourned to June 23, 2025 pending advice from the Attorney-General’s Department.
