Self-styled auditor remanded

Kumasi, April 18, GNA - A Kumasi circuit Court has remanded a self-styled auditor into prison custody for defrauding a seamstress of 18 million cedis.

George Annan, who pleaded not guilty, will re-appear on April 30. Police Chief Inspector Comfort Baffour-Kyei told the court presided over by Madam Wilhemina Hammond that on March 23, this year, Annan visited the complainant's shop at Atonsu-Agogo in Kumasi to iron his clothes.

She said during conversation, the accused got to know that the complainant had lost contact with her husband based in Paris, France, and asked for his contact number which the complainant gave to her. Chief Inspector Baffour-Kyei said on March 25, at about 2100 hours, Annan called the complainant on her mobile phone using a hidden identity number and pretended to be a friend of her husband calling from Paris. The prosecutor said the accused then lied to the complainant that the husband was in trouble in Paris, but had shipped three vehicles to her at Tema Harbour for clearance.

The accused then asked the complainant to contact one Asante, a clearing agent at Tema with 18 million cedis to assist her clear one of the vehicles, which would be sold and the proceeds used to clear the remaining two.

The prosecution said Annan was able to convince the complainant to pay the amount into an account at the Barclays Bank in Accra. The complainant later realised that Annan was a fraudster and reported the case to the police.

The accused after his arrest admitted the offence and pleaded that he would refund the money but failed.