Travel agent on fraud charge

By Irene Biama Asante

An Accra circuit tribunal has granted a bail of ?10 million with one surety to be justified to Samuel Aryettey, Managing Director of Maxcom Travel and Tours Limited in Accra, for defrauding by false pretences. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Narrating the facts of the case to the tribunal, chaired by Mrs. Francess Arhin, the prosecutor, Inspector S. B. Brabi, said on March 4, 1998, Aryettey made the complainant, Mr Francis Odartey Mensah, a building engineer at Teshie to believe that he could arrange for his two wards to further their education in an exchange programme in the US, if he could pay an amount of $8,000.

According to the prosecutor, Mr Odartey Mensah, was able to pay $4,000, in addition to ?700,000, for the processing of the documents. Aryettey, could however, not fulfil his part of the agreement by July, 1998, when the children should have left for the US. Inspector Brabi said, when Aryettey was confronted, he promised to refund the amount at a later date.

However, all efforts made by Odartey Mensah, to retrieve the money proved futile, the prosecutor said. On September 6, Odartey Mensah made a report to the police upon which Aryettey was arrested.

The prosecutor said, Aryettey again made an undertaking to pay the money to the police last October, but failed to honour the promise. He was consequently arrested and charged with the offence.