A businessman appeared before the Accra Circuit Court facing charges of defrauding by false pretenses and money laundering involving a total sum of 200,000 Ghana Cedis. According to reports from Starr FM and Pulse Ghana, the accused allegedly represented himself as a property manager with the authority to lease high value commercial and residential spaces in the Greater Accra Region.
Prosecutors informed the court that the defendant targeted individuals seeking long term leases and collected various sums of money between January and August of the current year. The prosecution stated that the properties in question were either non-existent or owned by third parties who had no knowledge of the lease agreements according to a Daily Graphic report on the proceedings.
The court presided over by a circuit judge heard testimony from investigating officers who alleged that the accused used forged documents to convince victims of his legitimacy. Starr FM reported that the victims only discovered the deception when they attempted to take possession of the buildings and were blocked by the actual owners or security personnel on site.
The defense counsel requested bail for the businessman arguing that he is a fixed resident of Accra and is not a flight risk. The court has remanded the accused into police custody to allow for further investigations into additional complaints from other potential victims as noted by Citi Newsroom. The case has been adjourned while the Ghana Police Service continues to verify the ownership of several properties mentioned in the charge sheet.