Court grants two people bail for fraud

Kumasi, June 27, GNA - A Kumasi circuit court has granted two people who allegedly defrauded 120 people of 476 million cedis bail in the sum of 200 million cedis each.

Joseph Kwame Boateng, a computer consultant and Ernest Frimpong-Manso, a broadcaster, are also charged with issuing dud cheques. They pleaded not guilty to the charge and will re-appear on July 9.

A third accomplice is on the run.

Police Chief Inspector Regina Kesewah told the court that in the early part of 2002, the accused persons caused a radio announcement to be made on Fox FM, a private radio station in Kumasi, that they were recruiting people to Greece to work at the Athens Olympic Games site then under construction for the 2004 games.

She said the 120 complainants went to Fox FM to meet Frimpong-Manso who confirmed authenticity of the announcement and introduced them to Boateng.

Boateng asked the complainants to pay one million cedis each into his account as registration fee and after which they were asked to pay 400 dollars into the same account.

The complainants again paid the money into Boateng's account after which they were asked to give the accused persons time to process the necessary documents but the accused persons could not be traced when the deadline was up.

Chief Inspector Kesewah said following a tip-off, the accused persons were traced to Accra where Boateng issued them a post-dated cheque for 400 dollars to be cashed at the Trust Bank in Kumasi. The cheques were dishonoured when they were presented for payment. The complainants reported Boateng to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) who arrested the accused persons.

Mr Owusu Afriyie, counsel for the accused persons, said they did not ran away to Accra and explained that it was to avoid complainants being on their necks daily that they went to Accra where they also operate.