The Accra Circuit Court presided over by Judge Samuel Bright Acquah has convicted a trader named Michael Ofotsu Garrison for defrauding a businessman through a fraudulent land transaction. According to court proceedings reported by MyJoyOnline and the Ghana News Agency, the convict took five hundred thousand Ghana Cedis from the complainant under the pretense of selling four plots of land located in East Legon.
Official court records cited by GhanaWeb indicate that the transaction began in August twenty twenty two when Garrison presented himself as the legitimate owner of the property. The businessman paid the full sum after being shown the land and receiving documentation that later proved to be problematic. The prosecution led by Inspector Wisdom Alorwu stated that the victim discovered the fraud when he attempted to develop the land and was confronted by the actual owners.
Investigations by the Ghana Police Service revealed that the land in question did not belong to Garrison. During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence showing that the convict used the funds for personal gain rather than the legal transfer of property. Graphic Online reports that the court has ordered Garrison to refund the total sum of five hundred thousand Ghana Cedis to the businessman or serve a custodial sentence of twelve months in hard labor.
The court further noted that land fraud remains a significant issue within the capital. MyJoyOnline reports that the convict pleaded for leniency before the final judgment was delivered. The presiding judge emphasized that the sentence should serve as a deterrent to others engaged in similar fraudulent activities in the real estate sector. The complainant expressed satisfaction with the court ruling according to local media reports present at the hearing.