Man grabbed for defrauding driver of GHS45, 900.00

An unemployed Cameroonian who collected GHS45,900 cedis from a taxi driver under the pretext of providing three folds of the amount but failed, has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.

Nkam Luc, charged with defrauding by false pretenses, has pleaded not guilty.

The Court presided over by Mrs. Adelaide Abui Keddey remanded Luc into Police custody to afford the prosecution the opportunity to conduct further investigations into the matter.

It further directed the prosecution to put their house in order in relation to the matter.

Prosecuting, General Sergeant Thomas Sarfo, narrated that the complainant, Mr Ofosu Mark was a resident of Nungua and the accused also resided in the same vicinity.

Sergeant Sarfo said Mr. Ofosu picked one Louis who was a Cameroonian and befriended him. Based on the friendship, Prosecution said Louis invited Ofosu to his house and introduced him to a business.

Prosecution said introducing him to the said business, Louis picked up a GHS10.00 note and two other blank papers in the shape of the GHS 10.00 note and washed the blank pieces of papers with some chemicals when turned into real currency notes.

Prosecution said Louis then convinced the complainant to bring money so that he would give him three folds of the amount produced.

According to the prosecution, Louis later introduced Luc to the complainant as a Lab technician who would produce the money in large quantities.

Sergeant Sarfo said the complainant became convinced and managed to raise GHS37,600.00 and GHS3,000 which was to be used for registration and reproduction of the money in triple folds.

The accused, after taking the money, changed same into GHS200.00 notes and arranged same with pieces of blank pieces of paper, sprinkled some powered substances on them and hand over to the complainant to keep till the following day.

Prosecution said thereafter, Luc and his accomplice (Louis) cunningly stayed away from the complainant for about a week with the excuse that the chemical needed for washing the money was scarce.

Luc and Louis later collected GHS8, 300.00 from the complainant under the pretext of buying the chemicals.

After a week, prosecution said Louis and Luc continued to give excuses and the complainant became suspicious.

Later, when the complainant visited Louis, he (Louis) had packed out of his room.

Prosecution said the complainant managed to lure accused to Nungua Methodist and he was arrested.

When Luc room was searched, Prosecution said pieces of brown envelopes, black and white substances, cotton, A4 sheets 141 pieces of black papers with $100 inscription on them were found.

Again, prosecution said four pieces of white papers with GHS50 notes inscription on them, 89 pieces of white blank papers also cut in the shape of GHS50 notes, some white substance and a rule were also found.