Gold dealer before court for alleged GH¢1.3m fraud

A Tarkwa based licensed gold dealer who allegedly concocted a gold robbery story after collecting GH¢1,368,994 from three people to supply them gold but failed to do so, appeared before an Accra Circuit Court on Thursday.

Victor Essilfie aka Ali, is said to have taken the amount to provide the three people 18.35 kiolgrammes of gold.

Charged with three counts of defrauding by false pretences, Essilfie pleaded not guilty.

He has been remanded into police custody to re-appear on August 29.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abraham A. Annor, prosecuting, told the court presided over by Mr Eric Kyei-Baffour that the complainants were two businesswomen Ms Barbara Aido, Agnes Teiman and a businessman Eric Akutey Azu.

Sometime in July this year, Ms Aido transferred GH¢530,000 to Essilfie to supply her gold, Ms Teiman transferred GH¢260,000 while Mr Azu transferred GH¢605,994.

The prosecutor said Essilfie after receiving those monies failed to supply the gold.

On August 2, this year, ASP Annor said Essilfie informed the complainants that while travelling to Accra the previous day with 25 kilogrammes of gold to be shared among them, he was attacked by armed robbers at Nsuaem and the gold taken away from him.

On hearing that, the complainants reported the case to the Police who arrested the accused.

The prosecutor said Essilfie in a statement to the police pleaded for time to refund the money or supply the gold, and was admitted to Police enquiry bail to refund the money or the gold but failed and after investigations charged with the offence.

Source: GNA