2 Caught Over £25,000 Fraud

A Public Relations Officer (PRO) of a gold mining company and an Arabic teacher, who allegedly defrauded a British soldier of Ghana origin to the tune of £25,000, have been put before an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Boakye Yiadom.

The accused persons, Thomas Musah and Zukanine Yussif allegedly connived with three persons who are currently at large.

They were charged with conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretences.

The accused persons denied any wrongdoing and were granted bail in the sum of GH¢100,000 with two sureties while the case has been adjourned to November 20, 2014.

The facts of the case as presented by the prosecuting officer, DSP Aidan Dery are that the complainant is a soldier in the British Army and also a businessman.

He said the first accused person is a PRO at a Goldline Company at Manso Adubea and lives at Bawaleshie while the second accused person is an Arabic teacher with Adabiya Arabic School at Fadama.

He said the teacher resides at Antieku at Santa Maria, Accra.

He said the other accomplices Fred Asare and one Isaac are domiciled in the United Kingdom (UK) while Naomi who is resident in Ghana.

According to him, in June 2014, the third, fourth and fifth accused persons approached the complainant in London and told him they had Pounds Sterling and needed some Cedis in Ghana so the complainant should give them cedis so that they would give him pounds in the UK.

He said the complainant agreed and instructed his partners in Ghana to give GH¢48,000 to the PRO and teacher in Ghana.

In addition, he said when the time came for the accused persons, who are at large to refund the money to the complainant in London, they failed to do so and informed the soldier that they were into business with Musah and Yussif.

Explaining further, he said the accused persons said the former President John Evans Atta-Mills had contracted the PRO and the Arabic teacher to supply jute sacks to the Government of Ghana and that the complainant should give them more money to undertake the lucrative business.

The prosecuting officer noted that soldier then contacted the PRO and teacher who confirmed what their accomplices had said.

The police officer said he paid £8,450 which Mushan and Yssif received in Ghana.

The soldier later contacted the accused persons and enquired about the business.

The accused persons, he said, told the complainant that they had sold the jute sacks but needed to perform some rituals to retrieve the money from Togo.

He said the soldier came to Ghana and lodged a complaint with the police, who arrested the accused persons.

The DSP said they were arraigned before court after investigations.

By Fidelia Achama