An Environmental Specialist, Isaac Tuolienuo, has been allegedly defrauded by a pensioner, Ebenezer Nii Armah Tackie, off GH¢14,300.00 under the pretence to sell a parcel of land to him at Kutunse.
The pensioner has, therefore, been put before an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by His Honour Prosper Duelove Gomashie, on the charge defrauding by false pretences, but the accused pleaded not guilty.
Nonetheless, the court was informed yesterday by Chief Inspector Richard Amoah that the accused allegedly admitted to the offence during interrogation, and has even refunded GH¢5,000.00 to the complainant, Isaac.
The court, as a result, has slapped the accused with a bail term of GH¢150,000 with two sureties, one of whom must own landed property to the value of the bail.
Brief facts of the case
The prosecuting officer told the court that Mr. Tuolienuo was an Environmental Specialist and a resident of East Airport, while the accused person was a pensioner and resides at Adusa, both communities in Accra.
According to him, somewhere in May 2019, the accused person informed one Nii Teiko Kwashie, also known as Nii Tagoe, that he was offering his one plot of land at Kuntunse for sale at a cost of GH¢33,000.00.
He said Nii Armah Tagoe informed the complainant through the latter’s brother, John Tuolienuo, about the availability of the land being offered for sale by the accused person.
C/Inspt Amoah told the court that the complainant, after going to see the land, expressed interest in acquiring it, hence, made a part payment of GH¢14,300.00 to the accused person through Nii Teiko Kwashie alias Nii Armah Tagoe.
The prosecutor further added that the accused person, after collecting the money, took the complainant to the land and showed same to him as his property, and by that the Environmental Scientist took possession by depositing sand and blocks on the land, as well as engaged the service of workers to build a fence wall around the land.
He said while the workers were digging the foundation of the wall, a group of people, led by another claimant, chased them from the site, adding that the incident compelled the complainant to lose interest in the land, and requested for a refund of his money, but the accused refused.
The prosecuting officer went on to narrate to the court that on March 10, 2020, the complainant reported the matter to the police, and the accused was subsequently arrested for investigations.
He stated that during interrogation, the accused admitted having received an amount of GH¢14,300 from Nii Tackie Kwashie alias Nii Armah Tagoe in respect of the sale of the land to the complainant.
C/Inspt Amoah added that the accused also admitted having resold the land to another developer, but failed to disclose the fellow’s identity, but investigation revealed that the accused, after receiving the GH¢14,300 as part payment, went ahead and resold the land to another developer.
The court has adjourned the case to May 4, 2022, and further ordered the accused to refund the balance of GH¢9,300 to the complainant.
