Four men in court over alleged fraudulent land sales at Tse-Addo

The Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Mr. Isaac Addo, has granted bail to three co-accused individuals charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretence.

The accused, Emmanuel Adjei, also known as Kalusha, 50, Dotse Anani, 43, and Paul Laryea, 68, were granted bail in the sum of GH¢1 million each, with two sureties to be justified.

One of the sureties must be a public or civil servant earning a minimum monthly salary of GH¢3,000.

The three pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

However, Stephen Nii Ako Thompson, also known as Nii Apenkwa, the first accused (A1) and alleged ringleader, was absent from court.

The case has been adjourned.

Charges and Allegations

The accused are facing charges of conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretence, contrary to Sections 23(1) and 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). According to the police, led by Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer, the accused defrauded a real estate developer, Mohammed Abdulai, by falsely representing that they could sell him a parcel of land in Tse-Addo, located in the Greater Accra Region.

The court heard that the complainant, Abdulai, was looking to acquire land in June 2024 when he came into contact with Dotse Anani (A3), who introduced him to Paul Laryea (A4) as the landowner.

After further discussions, Laryea introduced Emmanuel Adjei (A2) as the real owner of the land, who then introduced Stephen Nii Ako Thompson (A1) as the actual owner and a board member of the East Dadekotopon Development Trust.

The complainant made a payment of US$70,000 – comprising a cheque of US$65,000 and US$5,000 in cash – to Nii Ako Thompson.

However, after the transaction, Abdulai visited the land and discovered a notice indicating the property was not for sale. Alarmed, he reported the case to the police in August 2024, leading to the arrest of the accused.

Investigation Findings

Investigations revealed that the land in question belongs to one George Adjei Charway, who had not authorized the accused to sell it. Further inquiry disclosed that Nii Ako Thompson had shared GH¢100,000 with Emmanuel Adjei and Paul Laryea and given US$1,000 to Dotse Anani as their share of the fraudulent proceeds. Thompson kept the remaining funds.

All four accused have been charged with defrauding by false pretence and fraudulent transaction of land. The court has adjourned the case for further proceedings.

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