The Circuit Court 8 in Accra, presided over by His Honour Jojo Amoah Hagan, has granted bail to a 35-year-old trader, Abida Abubakar Akila, also known as Hajia, who has been charged with defrauding by false pretence.
Abida Akila faces a charge of Defrauding by False Pretence, contrary to Section 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Her plea was not taken.
According to the prosecution, the complainant, Shadrack Mensah, a mobile money vendor at Tuba Junction was approached by the accused on March 8, 2025.
Abida Akila allegedly engaged Mensah at his shop and requested several mobile money transfers to what later turned out to be non-existing numbers.
After repeated failed attempts to complete the transactions, the accused reportedly handed over GH¢18,000 to Shadrack Mensah to process a transfer the following day, assuring him that she would return for her cash.
She allegedly told Shadrack Mensah that her husband owned a nearby plumbing shop and that she frequented the place, urging him to call her anytime she needed a transaction done.
The next day, the accused allegedly called Shadrack Mensah and directed him to transfer GH¢12,000 from the GH¢18,000 she had left. He complied.
However, on March 10, 2025 Abida Akila allegedly instructed Shadrack Mensah to transfer a further GH¢53,000 to three separate mobile money numbers— 0549085766 (registered to Patricia Sasu), 059851385 (registered to Eric Arthur), and 0500524790 (registered to Abida Abubakar Akila).
Shadrack Mensah later visited the plumbing shop to collect the physical cash as promised but could not find the accused.
He was informed by an attendant that the shop belonged instead to one Daniel Arthur Boateng, raising suspicion.
The complainant attempted to reach Akila, but her phone was switched off. Checks with mobile money service providers revealed that all transferred funds had been withdrawn on the same day.
Shadrack Mensah reported the matter to the CID Headquarters on July 18, 2025.
Investigators later arrested Akila and a search conducted on her allegedly retrieved an iPhone 15 Pro Max and a Nokia feature phone, both preserved for digital forensic analysis.
During investigations, the accused is said to have admitted to the offence, claiming she invested the money in her business, but could not repay the complainant because her customers defaulted.
The court granted her bail in the sum of GH¢53,000 with one surety. The case has been adjourned to December 22, 2025, while investigations continue.
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