Court remands driver over sale of smuggled vehicle

The Juaso Circuit Court has remanded a 36-year-old driver into prison custody over the sale of a smuggled vehicle without genuine custom documents.

Kwadwo Baawuah is charged with defrauding by false pretence, and he pleaded not guilty.

He was ordered to re-appear before the court on Friday, May 31.

Police Chief Inspector Joseph Obeng told the court presided over by Mr. Alex Obeng Asante that the complainant, Kwame Asante, is the Konongo branch Chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU).

In March, last year, he bought a Ford Transit Bus with registration number GC 9283-11 from the accused at the cost of GH¢13,500.00, which he re-sold two months later to one Isaac Amoh.

The prosecution said the new owner, Amoh, was driving the vehicle to Kumasi in December, that same year, when it was intercepted by the Officials of the Custom and Excise Preventive Service (CEPS) at Kubease near Ejisu.

They informed him that the vehicle had been smuggled into the country and that the necessary duties had not been paid.

Realizing that he has been cheated, Amoh went straight to the complainant and asked for a refund of his money, which he did.

Asante in turn, confronted the accused, who promised to speak with the CEPS officials to release the vehicle but was unsuccessful and has since failed to refund the money.