The Accra Circuit Court presided over by Judge Isaac Addo sentenced two men to a total of fifteen years in hard labor for their involvement in a high value gold scam. According to a Graphic Online report the convicts were identified as Shadrack Mensah and Michael Boateng. The prosecution stated that the individuals conspired to defraud a foreign national of two hundred thousand dollars under the pretext of selling him several kilograms of gold bars.
Court proceedings detailed that the complainant met the accused persons in Accra where they presented themselves as legitimate gold dealers. A GhanaWeb report indicates that the convicts provided the victim with forged documents and fake gold samples to facilitate the transaction. Once the victim transferred the funds to a designated account the accused persons became unreachable and failed to deliver the promised minerals.
The Ghana Police Service apprehended the suspects following a formal complaint filed by the victim. During the trial the prosecution presented evidence including bank statements and communication logs between the parties. A Citi Newsroom report mentioned that the judge found the evidence overwhelming and established the guilt of both men beyond a reasonable doubt for charges of conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretenses.
In passing the sentence Judge Isaac Addo noted the rising trend of gold scams targeting international investors in Ghana. The court ordered that the convicts serve seven and a half years each as a deterrent to others involved in similar fraudulent activities. The judgment also included a directive for the convict's assets to be scrutinized for potential restitution to the victim as reported by the Ghana News Agency.