Crime & Punishment of Friday, 3 June 2011

Source: GNA

Farmer remanded for allegedly selling school land

Accra, June 3, GNA - Emmanuel Kwabena Ganford, farmer, on Friday, appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly selling a parcel of land, housing the nursery section of Association International School, at airport residential area for 15,000 US dollars and GH¢450,000. Ganford, aka George Emmanuel Amoah, is facing charges of conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretences. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded into prison custody to re-appea= r on June 14.

Meanwhile, the Police are still looking for Ganford's accomplices. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) A.A. Annor said the complainant was a Chartered Accountant and that about a year ago, he expressed interest in buying a plot of land and therefore contacted some agents. Later, he (complainant) received a phone call from one Collins Amoateng, an agent, that he had a piece of land at airport residential area for sale and wanted to know if he was interested. ASP Annor said the complainant, who was buying the plot on behalf of his brother-in-law, met one Ganford, who introduced himself as George Emmanuel Amoah and produced his passport bearing the name of George Emmanue= l Amoah. The complainant, the prosecutor said made a search at the Lands Commission, and became satisfied that the property belonged to Ganford and paid 15,000 dollars and GH¢450,000 cedis to his accomplices, now at large= .. ASP Annor said the complainant visited the parcel of land and found people on the land, and when he questioned them, he became suspicious that he had been defrauded.

The prosecutor said the complainant made several efforts to apprehend the accused person and his accomplices but that did not yield any results. A report made to the Police led to the arrest of Ganford, who was hiding at Kpando, in the Volta Region and mentioned four other people (name withheld) as his accomplices. He also admitted using the name George Emmanuel Amoah to defraud the complainant. ASP Annor said the Police was making effort to arrest the other accomplices. 3