A Sunyani-based trader, Johnson Asare, has allegedly been defrauded of GH¢130,000.00 under the pretext of purchasing a Kia Rhino truck, the Circuit Court in Accra has heard.
The accused, Mawuli Nawazi, also known as Amenyo, a carpenter residing at Sowutuom, in Accra, has been charged with defrauding by false pretence.
Appearing before the Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Basilia Adjei-Tawiah, Nawazi pleaded not guilty to the single count.
The court admitted the accused to bail in the sum of GH¢70,000.00 with two sureties, one to be justified.
As part of the bail conditions, Nawazi is required to deposit his Ghana Card at the court registry and report to the case investigator every other week.
The case has been adjourned to March 15, 2026.
Presenting the brief facts, the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Fredrick Asare, told the court that the complainant, Johnson Asare, is a trader based in Sunyani in the Bono Region, while the accused is a carpenter living at Sowutuom, Accra.
According to the prosecution, in April 2024, the complainant was introduced to the accused by a man identified as Appiah, who allegedly presented Nawazi as someone with a Kia Rhino truck for sale.
The court heard that Asare subsequently travelled from Sunyani to Accra to meet the accused for inspection and price negotiations.
Chief Inspector Asare said the accused took the complainant to the Bawleshi School Park, where he showed him a parked Kia Rhino truck.
The accused allegedly introduced the complainant to one Michael Ebenezer Addison, described as his “garage boy.”
The prosecution stated that the complainant inspected documents relating to the truck, took photographs of the documents and the chassis number, and later conducted a search at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
After the checks, the complainant and the accused allegedly agreed on GH¢130,000.00 as the final purchase price of the vehicle.
The prosecutor told the court that the accused provided a GCB Bank account number, 1751120002442, bearing the name Mawuli Awazi, into which the complainant and another person, Evelyn Taumann, paid the agreed sum.
However, after payment, the complainant was allegedly instructed by the accused to collect the truck while he arranged for DV plates.
Upon attempting to take possession of the vehicle, the complainant was reportedly prevented by Michael Ebenezer Addison, who claimed to be the true owner of the truck and stated that he had not received any payment from the accused, whom he described as merely a middleman.
Realising he had allegedly been defrauded, Johnson Asare reported the matter to the police, leading to the arrest of the accused.
Investigations, the court heard, established that Nawazi admitted ownership of the bank account into which the money was paid and acknowledged receiving the funds, but denied defrauding the complainant.
Further investigations allegedly revealed that the accused had earlier approached Michael Ebenezer Addison, who had put up his truck for sale, and collected his account details with the promise of directing a buyer to pay after DVLA checks.
The prosecution said the accused instead provided his personal account details to the complainant, allegedly misappropriated the funds after payment, and went into hiding.
The case remains under investigation, with the bank account statement from GCB Bank Limited yet to be received.
For more news, join The Chronicle Newspaper channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBSs55E50UqNPvSOm2z
