An Accra Circuit Court has granted a GHS100,000.00 bail with two sureties to a man who allegedly took GHS139,390.00 from another under the pretext of selling him a tipper truck on a hire purchase.
Eric Nana Kwame Asare’s two sureties are to be justified and he is to report to the Police once a month until the determination of the case, the Court ordered.
He pleaded not guilty to defrauding by false pretense.
The Court presided over by Ms Adelaide Abui Keddy ordered the accused person to make his next appearance on October 19, 2022.
Police Chief Inspector Maxwell Ayim told the Court that Nicholas Dugbatey, the complainant, was a driver and a resident of Tsopoli whilst Asare was a Self-acclaimed manager of NEQT Group of Companies Limited.
In May 2021, the Complainant heard an advertisement on radio about a company called NEQT Group of Companies Limited, located at Taifa, Accra which was offering vehicles for sale on hire purchase.
He said the Complainant, who showed interest, followed the address of the said company to its office at Taifa where he met the accused person who introduced himself as the manager of the Company and confirmed the services of the company per the advertisement to the complainant.
Prosecution said the accused person therefore showed pictures of various types of vehicles at his disposal to the complainant and asked him to make his choice.
Chief Inspector Ayim said the Complainant settled on a China Tipper Truck after going through the pictures of which Asare priced it at GHS 380,000.00.
The Court heard that the accused person further asked the complainant to pay GHS 76,000.00, being 20 per cent of the cost of the vehicle which he agreed to pay in installments.
Chief Inspector Ayim said Asare then instructed the Complainant to pay the said amount to him via two mobile money account numbers of which he agreed and started making payment to the Accused.
He said complainant in September 2021 was able to pay the 20 per cent cost of the vehicle to the accused person and provided two substantial people as his guarantors per the requirements of the accused person and demanded for the release of the vehicle but Asare refused to release same to him with an excuse that the price of the vehicle had gone up.
The accused person, the Court heard, asked the Complainant to pay him an additional GS 40,000.00 before the vehicle could be released to him if he wanted the same vehicle and the complainant obliged but the accused person again failed to release the vehicle to him and still demanded for more money from him despite several appeals made for the Accused Person to even show him the location of the vehicle.
Prosecution said the complainant therefore made a report to the Police, leading to the arrest of Asare after several efforts made by him to recover the said amount had failed.
Chief Inspector Ayim said Asare in his investigation cautioned statement admitted having collected GHC 39,000.00 from the complainant in respect of the said vehicle but had failed to release same to him.
He said Police investigations disclosed that Asare had so far collected GHC 139,390.00 from the Complainant in respect of the said Tipper Truck but had failed to release same to him as promised.
Prosecution said further investigations disclosed that, the accused person had withdrawn the said amount from the mobile money accounts for his personal use, adding that the Complainant after paying the said amount to the accused person insisted on several occasions to see the location of the vehicle but accused failed to take him to the location.
Accused Person during investigations also failed to lead Police to the location of the said vehicle despite several efforts made by Police.
