A Kwabenya based trader, Quacy Freeman, is alleged to have been defrauded by a 32-year-old painter, Michael Ansah, alias Paa, off US$40,500.00 in the cedi equivalent of GH¢415,000.00.
The painter allegedly defrauded Mr. Freeman under the pretence of selling him a Mercedes Benz GLE at a cost of US$40,500.00, but after receiving the said money, failed to deliver the vehicle.
Michael was dragged before an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Isaac Oheneba Kuffour, yesterday, for the offences defrauding by false pretences and resisting arrest.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the sum of GH¢500,000.00, with three sureties, two to be justified with movable and immovable properties, together with title deeds.
Brief Facts
The brief facts, as presented by Chief Inspector John Gohoho, was that while the complaint, Quacy Freeman, lives at Kwabenya, Michael Ansah resides at Ogbojo, all suburb of Accra.
C/Insp. Gohoho told the court that within the month of November 2022, Michael Ansah went to the shop of the complainant with pictures of a Mercedes Benz GLE that he was offering for sale.
The accused allegedly deceived the complainant to believe that the said vehicle being offered for sale belonged to him, and he had used it in the United States of America for some time.
Michael gave his story some credibility by further producing a document to support his entitlement to the vehicle.
Based on this, the accused told the complainant to pay a total sum of US$40,500.00 for him to ship the said vehicle to him.
The accused, thereafter, introduced one Fred to the complainant as the one who was keeping the vehicle in safe custody for him, and the very person who was responsible for shipping the said vehicle.
The accused, after demanding and collecting a total sum of US$40,500.00 (GH¢415,000.00) from the complainant, promised to deliver the vehicle within a month, but failed and started giving flimsy excuses.
On June 5, 2022, the complainant reported the case to police, and the next day, the accused was arrested at Kwabenya.
In the course of his arrest, the accused entered into a fierce struggle with the police after he was told of his offense, and he managed to escape.
After running away, the accused person went to hide in a boutique at Abom, a suburb of Kwabenya, but was traced and arrested.
In the boutique, the accused entered another struggle with the police, which lasted for about one hour, before he was eventually overpowered and arrested with the help of a reinforcement team.
During investigations, the accused person admitted the offences in his caution statement, and stated that, he was unable to ship the said vehicle because they stole it from a White person in the USA.
The accused person pleaded to be given up to two weeks to refund the money, but failed.
He was charged with the offence and was directed by the police to appear before court on July 7, but he refused and changed his place of abode.
The prosecution told the court that it took the police an uphill struggle to re-arrest the accused.
The court, after granting Michael bail, adjourned the case to September 25, 2023.
