Chief on the run for defrauding Italian C7.5 million

Cape Coast, Sept 19, GNA- The Chief of Egyaa Number One near Anomabu in the Central Region, Nana Anamoah IV, is on the run from the police for defrauding an Italian businessman of 7.5 million cedis under the pretext of selling him a piece of land.

This came to light when his accomplice, Rebecca Hayford, a 56-year-old priestess, was arraigned before a circuit court at Cape Coast for defrauding by false pretences.

She pleaded not guilty and was remanded to re-appear on Friday September 26.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Augustine Amonoo told the court that on February 1 2001, Mr Petrueelelo Jelice, an Italian and a timber contractor based in Kumasi, went to Egyaa Number One to buy land. He said Nana Anamoah and the priestess assured Mr Jelice that they could sell him a piece of land and collected 7.5 million cedis from him with a promise to process the documents covering it.

Mr Jelice left for Italy and later sent a fax message to Abdul Razak, his driver with whom he had gone to Egyaa, to check on the plot. Razak pursued the documents covering the land at the lands department at Cape Coast but was told that the two accused persons did not have any land registered with the department.

He was told that the land in question rather belonged to one Nana Kuntu Ababio.

Efforts to have Mr Jelice's money refunded, proved futile and he reported the matter to the police.