Woman fraudster on trial

Accra, March 22, GNA - A woman fraudster, who jumped bail in June 2004, has been re-arrested on bench warrant and brought to court. Mariama Adams, 36, a businesswoman, was on Wednesday put before an Accra Circuit Court for defrauding a trader of six pieces of Kente cloth worth 9.2 million cedis. She pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Assistant Superintendent of Police George Abavelim told the court that Miss Rita Okyere, a trader who deals in Kente cloth, met Mariama in January 2004 on her usual rounds with her cloth at a shop at East Legon, which the accused claimed was for her. ASP Abavelim said Mariama convinced Rita to release six pieces of the Kente cloth worth 9.2 million cedis and asked her to come back to collect the money in one week. When Rita went for the money on the said date, Mariama asked her to return in another week.

ASP Abavelim said since then Mariama had been playing hide and seek with Rita until they had information that she was attending court where she was arrested.