A 55-year-old man has been brought before the Adenta Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding a businessman of GH¢500,000 under the pretext of facilitating the purchase of an auctioned government vehicle.

The accused, Bawah Yusif Sarkodie, is alleged to have presented himself as a national security operative and collected the money to secure a Toyota Land Cruiser said to have been seized by the government and placed on auction at the Tema Harbour. The vehicle was never delivered.

Sarkodie has been charged with defrauding by false pretences. He pleaded not guilty when he appeared before the court.

The court admitted him to bail in the sum of GH¢600,000 with two sureties. He was also ordered to report to the police every Monday as part of his bail conditions.

Presenting the facts, Chief Superintendent of Police Patience Mario told the court that the complainant, Charles Amoakoh, is a businessman engaged in car rental services at Adenta Pantang Junction. The accused, the prosecution said, is a businessman resident at West Legon who had previously been renting vehicles from the complainant.

According to the prosecution, in May 2025, Sarkodie visited the complainant at his garage and introduced himself as a national security operative and an official of the National Democratic Congress. He allegedly told the complainant that he could assist him to acquire Toyota Land Cruisers seized by the government and being auctioned at GH¢500,000 per vehicle at the Tema Harbour.

The prosecution said Sarkodie further claimed to have an office near the Tema Community 18 Municipal Assembly and invited the complainant to meet him there with the money to facilitate the transaction.

On May 6, 2025, at about 10:00 a.m., the complainant, accompanied by two witnesses, met Sarkodie at the stated location. While seated in the complainant’s car, Sarkodie allegedly requested that the money be handed over, claiming it was required to pay a token to officials at the Assembly to enable access to the vehicle.

The court was told that Sarkodie received the GH¢500,000 but deliberately left behind GH¢20,000, his Samsung mobile phone, and two reflective jackets in the vehicle before entering one of the Assembly buildings, pretending he was going to make the payment.

According to the prosecution, Sarkodie failed to return. The complainant waited for some time before becoming suspicious. Subsequent attempts to locate him were unsuccessful, as his phones were switched off and he had fled.

A complaint was later lodged with the Ghana Police Service, leading to investigations. Sarkodie was arrested on September 11, 2025.

The prosecution told the court that further investigations have linked the accused to a series of similar alleged fraudulent activities within Accra. Those matters, the court was informed, are still under investigation.

The case has been adjourned, and Sarkodie remains on bail. All allegations against him remain unproven, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of law