Businessman In Court For Allegedly Defrauding A Malaysian Businessman Of $ 12,000.00

A Businessman has been put before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding a Malaysian businessman of $ 12,000.00 under the pretext of conveying 60 kilos of gold from Tarkwa to La Palm Royal Hotel in Accra.

Maxwell Collins charged with defrauding by false pretences pleaded not guilty.

The court presided over by Mr Emmanuel M. Essandoh has admitted Collins to bail in the sum of GH¢ 60,000.00 with three sureties, two of whom are to be public servants earning not less than GH¢ 1,000.00.

Collins have also been ordered by the court to make a security deposit of GH¢ 5,000.00 and also make available his passport to the court's registrar.

He is expected to reappear on March 12.
Prosecuting Chief Inspector Francis Tassan told the court that Mr Tan Teik Choon is a businessman residing in Malaysia, while Collins resides at Teshie.

The Prosecution said in 2016, two guys only known as Ben and Leo introduced Mr Choon to the accused as Chief Executive Officer in charge of operations of Odumasi Gold Ghana Limited.

During the interaction between Mr Choon and the accused; Collins told Choon that he could sell to him gold bars from his company and went ahead to show a photocopy of his passport with the name George Ali Alhassan to the complainant.

Prosecution said based on the frequent interaction between the two, Mr Choon, followed up to Ghana on November 8, last year and lodged at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel where Collins collected $ 12,000 as transportation for the 60 kilogrammes of gold from Tarkwa to Accra.

According to prosecution, Collins gave the complainant a receipt and took Mr Choon to the Police Headquarters under the pretext of securing a Bullion Van from the Police to convey the gold.

Prosecution said the complainant waited at the car park of the Ghana Police Headquarters' for hours only for Collins to inform him that the Police were demanding extra $ 6,000.00 before releasing the van.

Collins afterwards returned to one of the offices at the Police Headquarters and told Mr Choon that he should go back to his hotel and he would bring the said gold to him in the evening.

On November 12, last year, complainant received a call from someone purported to be Deputy Superintendent of Police Kweku Owusu claiming that he had arrested Collins with 15 bars of the gold and he would be sending him to court the following day if he fail to pay GH¢ 20,000.00.

Choon told Collins that he should come for the money at his hotel and reported the matter to the Police.

Collins in his bid to collect the GH¢ 20,000.00 from Choon, was arrested by the Police.

GNA
By Joyce Danso, GNA