Trader appears before court for fraud

Sekondi, March 21, GNA - A Sekondi District Magistrate's Court on Monday granted Comfort Mensah, a trader five million cedis bail with one surety for allegedly defrauding by false pretences. The accused pleaded not guilty and is to re-appear on April 6 this year.

Prosecuting, Police Sergeant Adu Kyeremeh said the accused and the complainant; Bright Dentu belonged to the Church of Pentecost at Kweikuma, near Sekondi.

He said the complainant informed members of the Church that he wanted some rooms to rent.

Sergeant Kyeremeh said, later a Christian sister informed the complainant that the accused person had rooms to rent.

He said during the month of October last year, the complainant negotiated with the accused and paid five million cedis rent advance. Sergeant Kyeremeh said the accused promised the complainant that she would hand over keys to the rooms later but failed to do so. He said when all efforts to collect the keys proved futile, the complainant informed the elders of the Church, who asked the accused person to either hand over the keys or refund the rent advance. Sergeant Kyeremeh said the accused person did not heed the advice of the elders so the complainant reported the matter to the Police and the accused was arrested.

He said the accused admitted the offence in her statement and said she had used the money for a project and promised to refund it to the complainant.

Sergeant Kyeremeh said the accused refunded 2.3 million cedis but failed to honour her promise to refund the remaining amount at the end of February this year.