Court remands footballer for defrauding 144 people

Half-Assini (E/R), July 14, GNA – A Half-Assini Magistrate Court presided over by Mr Hens Kofi Kpodo on Wednesday remanded a 21-year-old footballer, Gaddiel Nketsiah Ankomah, alias Abukari Touffique, in police custody for two weeks for defrauding.

He pleaded not gulity.

Deputy Superintendent of Police John Furguson Dzineku, Jomoro District Police Commander, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that somewhere in November 2010, the accused collected an amount of GH¢17,332 from Mr John Tanoe, a carpenter at Mangyea near Half-Assini, and 143 others under the pretext of acquiring Italian visas and passports for them but did not fulfil his promise.

DSP Dzineku said the accused then went into hiding.

As a result, the victims lodged a complaint at the Half-Assini Police Station and upon a tip-off the accused was arrested at his hide-out by the Takoradi Police.

He was subsequently sent to Half-Assini to face prosecution.

The District Police Commander said the accused in a caution statement, admitted collecting GH¢16,000 and promised to refund the money to the complainants.

He is to re-appear in court on July 28, 2011.