Fraudster remanded into police custody

Akyem Swedru (E/R), Feb. 14, GNA - The Akyem Swedru Circuit Court on Wednesday remanded a 30-year-old unemployed man, Yaw Asiedu into Police custody to reappear on January 28 for defrauding through false representation.

The accused, a resident of Dansoman in Accra, who pleaded not guilty to a charge of defrauding through false representation, used different names such as Frank Gyekye; Nana Owusu Junior and Arthur to defraud his victim.

Cynthia Nana Yaa Serwaa, a "chop bar" operator at Akyem Aboabo in the Birim South District, who was facing a charge of abetment of crime was, however, granted bail in the sum of 20 million cedis with one surety to reappear on that day.

Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ayamga Yakubu told the Court presided over by Mr Edward Kwame Bosompem Apenkwah that the complainant was a civil servant resident in Koforidua.

He said in January, Asiedu phoned the complainant pretending to be a businessman resident in London with business links across Europe. Through false representation on the phone, the accused person managed to convince the complainant that one Opoku, now at large had in his possession a quantity of chemical called "apple fluid" used in spraying apple to bear more fruits.

The Prosecution said Asiedu told the complainant that the apple fluid was sold in Europe at a very profitable price and that one Stephen David; a German would be arriving in the country soon to buy the chemical in large quantities to Europe.

Asiedu later contacted Opoku, who took the complainant to a house known as "Gutten Tag Inn" at Akyem Aboabo where the second accused had been using to operate her "chop" bar.

Relying on the false representation made by the accused, the complainant bought a bottle of the apple fluid for 3.2 million cedis at the Gutten Tag Inn in a sitting room provided by Serwaa to facilitate the transaction.

The Prosecution said the complainant then took the apple liquid to the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel where Stephen David expressed interest in buying them in large quantity.

He said Asiedu then encouraged and convinced the complainant on phone to buy more of the apple fluid and deliver it to David to make huge profits.

On January 28, Asiedu posing as one Junior and son of Opoku delivered 25 bottles of the apple fluid to the complainant at Kasoa and collected 40 million cedis.

The complainant later made efforts to contact David to sell the chemical but without success.

The Prosecution said the complainant then called the phones of David, Opoku and the accused, but their phones were switched off. The complainant made a report to the Police and Asiedu was arrested at the Gutten Tag Inn when he was in the process of using the same modus operandi to defraud one Emmanuel Amoah of 3 million cedis. Police Divisional CID's investigation revealed that Asiedu used different names and voices with different phone numbers to defraud gullible members of the public.