An Accra Circuit Court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Essandoh has granted bail in an amount of GH¢60,000 to one Owen Kwame Frempong for his alleged involvement in defrauding a businessman of U$29,000, equivalent to GH¢163,850.
Owen Kwame Frempong, alias “Darling Boy” was considered worthy of bail after the Prosecutor, Inspector Eric Pobee told the court that the suspect had managed to pay US$4,000 out of US$10,000 that was apportioned to him.
However, Owen accomplice, a 39-year Evans Owuraku Amofo was denied bail, despite their defence counsel Paul Assibi Arbaligah’s attempt yesterday to have both of them granted a bail.
Mr Arbaligah first attempt to seek bail for the accused persons was marred by the 46-year-old Shipping Consultant Owen collapsing while in the witness box on September 17, 2020.
The court further ordered that Owen should present one surety who earn not less than GH¢2,000 monthly as part of his bail conditions and adjourned the case to Wednesday, September 30, 2020.
The background of the case as told to the court by Inspector Pobee that the complainant in the case deals in various businesses and the office located at Adjiriganor in Accra.
However, during the month of April 2020, the complainant and his boss needed a quantity of a chemical called Carbomer used for in the manufacturing of hand sanitiser.
The said complainant contacted a witness in the case to assist him with someone who can supply them with the supposed chemical. The witness also contacted Evans and he promised he could be of help.
The witness, in facilitating, introduced Evans [1st accused person], the complainant, and they met in the office of the complainant. Evans then told the complainant that he had contacted another person, Owen Kwame Frempong, who had the chemical in the quantity they are requesting.
“A1 [Evans] left and later called [the] complainant to inform him the Owen was ready with the chemical, so they should meet him at Prampram to pay and collect it,” he said.
As a result, on May 5, 2020, the complainant and his boss, in a company of other persons, met with Evans at a certain spot at Prampram, as arranged, to pay for the chemical.
At Prampram, Evans called Owen to bring the chemical to them at the location, however, a lady delivered the Carbomer chemical in an ice chest at the Prampram location.
The complainant and his boss, after inspecting the chemical on the spot, paid US$29, 000, equivalent to GH¢163,850, to A1, who took leave of them, together with the lady, to meet A2 with the money.
However, he said while the complainant and his boss and others were also returning to Accra with the chemical, “…the complainant and the witnesses were arrested by police and the ice chest with its content seized from them. They were later released by the police.”
This made the complainant suspicious and he reported the issue to the Accra Regional Command, which led to the arrest of the accused person.
Inspector Pobee revealed that the chemical, during the course of investigation, was found to be fake.
The Inspector explained that the arrest of the complainant, together with others, was allegedly orchestrated by the accused persons, saying: “The accused persons rather arranged with three police officers, who are their friends, to seize the fake chemical from the complainant to avoid detection.”
According to the prosecutor, in the caution statements of the accused persons they admitted to the crime as being a scam, and promised to refund the amount but failed to honour it.
The accused persons have been arraigned before the court for the offences of conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretence, while the police officers in question have been interdicted and formal proceedings instituted into their conduct.
However, Owen, alias Darling Boy, collapsed while his defence counsel, Paul Abariga, was on his feet pleading with the court to grant him and Evans bail, and was rushed to the hospital.
The post Court grants bail to sanitizer chemical fraudster appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS