Court remands two men for defrauding policewoman of GH¢60,000.00
An Accra Circuit Court on Monday remanded two persons for allegedly defrauded a policewoman of GH¢60,000.00 under the pretext of clearing her two vehicles from the port for her.
Foster Afomale was charged with obtaining electronic payment falsely and defrauding by false pretence whilst Kwaku Agbetor, a Togolese was charged with abetment of crime.
Their pleas were not taken as prosecution prayed for time to do further investigations.
They are to reappear on February 18.
Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Nyamekye told the Court presided over by Mrs Ruby Naa Aryeetey that Afomale is a mechanic and Agbetor a mason.
He said the complainant in the case, Florence Antwi is a Police officer, stationed at the Kotoka International Airport. Afomale lived at Kwabenya in Accra.
ASP Nyamekye said in October 2018, Madam Antwi received a text message from a US sim number of which the sender introduced himself as one Captain Richmond Tawiah, a Ghanaian military officer on a UN mission to the United States.
The Prosecution said the complainant and the alleged military officer became friends and exchanged messages and pictures.
He said the said military man shared his desire of buying himself a car and another one for her since cars were cheaper in the US compared to Ghana.
The Prosecution said complainant showed interest and the alleged officer sent pictures of some cars to her which made her believe that he had bought those cars.
ASP Nyamekye said the alleged military man proceeded by sending the contact of a supposed clearing agent, who the complainant contacted.
The Prosecution said the alleged clearing agent asked the complainant to pay GH¢60,000.00 for that purpose.
He said a GCB account number bearing the name of Agbetor was given to her and she deposited the amount for clearing the cars after conferring with the said military man.
The Prosecution said, after the money was deposited, the phone lines of both “the soldier” as well as “the agent,” were blocked and the cars too were not sent to her.
ASP Nyamekye said when the said pictures of the soldier were used to trace him at Burma camp, the real Captain Randy Tawiah showed up but denied taking part in the scheme and revealed that other ladies have also fallen victim to such scams with the perpetrators using his pictures.
He said investigations revealed that the pictures were downloaded from his Facebook wall to perpetuate the crime.
The Prosecution said on January 14, this year, the two were arrested one in Togo, the other in Ghana.
He said in their statements, Afomale said he received a message alert when the money was deposited so he called Agbetor who came to Aflao to withdrew the money for him of which he gave Agbetor GH¢1,500.00. as his fee.
The Prosecution said Afomale claimed he transferred the money through MTN mobile money to one Daniel Dumenu, the brain behind the crime who is currently serving a jail-term at Ankaful Prisons.
Source: GNA