An Accra Circuit Court has remanded a 42-year-old economist who is accused of stealing GH475,500.00 from a jobless woman under the pretense of using the money to start a salted fish company but ultimately failed. On February 1, 2023, a warrant was initially issued for his arrest because the defendant had skipped court. The accused was detained on Sunday, February 19, 2023, according to the prosecution team, which was led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Maxwell Oppong, who called the case on February 20, 2023. Alex Kodua, who was accused of defrauding under false pretenses, entered a not-guilty plea.
The accused’s attorney, Mr. Prince Omane Boateng, requested bail on the grounds that his client was not a flight risk and had a permanent address. According to Mr. Boateng, the defendant would present himself for trial. The prosecution challenged the bail application on the grounds that the defendant had broken the bail conditions when he was granted initial Police inquiry release. The prosecution requested that the accused be held in custody for additional inquiry. As a result, the accused was remanded into police custody by the Samuel Bright Acquah-presiding court and ordered to appear in court again on March 1, 2023. The prosecution had earlier claimed that the complainant, Theresa Duku, was unemployed and lived in Ogbojo, Accra, while the defendant lived in Oyarifa-Amanfrom, Accra.
According to the report, the accuser, who was also the complainant’s acquaintance, approached her after the complainant’s banking employment was terminated in October 2021 and claimed to be involved in the acquisition and delivery of salted fish known as “Kako” in the area. According to the prosecution, the defendant persuaded the complainant that she would make money investing in the alleged company. According to the report, the accused individual then demanded and obtained from the complainant cash totaling GH30,000.00 on the pretense of investing it in the specified firm. The accused brought some returns to the complainant a few days later, according to the prosecution, as profit he had made from the money.
According to the report, the accused requested the complainant to reach out to her acquaintances who might be interested in the arrangement after earning her trust. According to the prosecution, the complainant fell for the joke and collected GH475, 500.00 from her family and friends. According to the complaint, the complainant gave the accused person the money with the understanding that she would order the salted fish on her behalf so she could handle the transaction herself. After receiving the money, the accused allegedly went into hiding and abruptly cut off contact with the complainant, according to the prosecution.
According to the report, the accused was located and apprehended in his hiding place after the complainant reported the incident to the police on July 12, 2022. The accused, according to the prosecution, acknowledged to the crime and begged the police to grant him until the end of August 2022 to repay the money. Investigation, according to the report, showed that the accused person had never engaged in the supply or purchase of any salted fish, despite his claims to the contrary.
