Unemployed man remanded for using false bill of lading

Tema, Jan. 14, GNA - The Tema Circuit Court 'B' has remanded an unemployed man for using a false bill of lading to defraud a clearing agent of five million cedis at the Tema Port. Oppong Kwasi Joshua aged 23, pleaded guilty with explanation and will reappear on January 26.

Chief Inspector Edith Nutakor told the court presided over by Mr Stephen Teye that in November 2004, the accused and John Kwasi (now at large) approached the complainant with a bill of lading to clear some goods for their mother.

She said the accused took five million cedis from the complainant with a promise to refund it after the goods were cleared and sold at the Port.

When the clearing process started, however, the complainant detected that the bill of lading and other documents brought to him were fake and therefore reported the case to the Railway and Harbour Police who arrested the accused.

In his explanation, the accused said he browsed the Internet and got the bill of lading, printed a copy and got other documents, which he presented, to the clearing agent. He pleaded with the court to give him time to pay the five million cedis.