Court grants student GH¢20,000.00 bail over allegedly defrauding a trader

An Accra Circuit Court has granted a GH¢20,000.00 bail with one surety to a student who allegedly took GH¢5,500.00 from a trader under the pretext of buying him laptops online.

The Court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Essandoh ordered that the surety should be Archibald Therson-Cofie’s mother.

Therson-Cofie, 19, pleaded not guilty to defrauding by false pretense and he will make his next appearance on June 6, 2022.

Prosecuting, Police Inspector Eric Pobee, told the Court that Mr Isaac Nunoo, the complainant was a trader and both the complainant and the accused person, resided at Mamprobi.

The Prosecution said in May 2021, Mr Nunoo wanted to buy laptops online whose prices were in dollars and as such needed to convert GH¢5,500.00 to a crypto currency called bitcoin to enable him to buy the laptops.

It said the accused person who claimed to be dealing in bitcoin was introduced to Mr Nunoo by one Abdul Aziz Copson, a witness in the case.

He said the accused person demanded and collected GH¢5,500.00 from Mr Nunoo via mobile money and promised to send its bitcoin equivalent to him but failed to do so.

Prosecution said Mr Nunoo demanded for a refund of his money, but the accused person told him he was not refunding the money and that he should look smart next time.

Police Inspector Pobee said the accused person cut off contact with Mr Nunoo and all efforts made to trace him proved futile.

He said on January 20, 2022, Mr Nunoo had information that the accused person had been arrested in a similar case at the Mamprobi Police Station.

The Prosecution said Mr Nunoo then lodged a complaint against the accused person, and he was arrested.

He said the accused person admitted the offence and refunded GHS1,500.00 out of the GHS5,500.00.

Source: GNA