In a recent development at the Tema Circuit Court B, a 32-year-old businessman, Michael Opoku Ofori, has been granted bail in the sum of Gh₵100,000.00 with two sureties, one of which is required to be justified. This comes after Ofori pleaded not guilty to two counts of defrauding by false pretense and issuing a false cheque.
Presided over by Mrs. Klorkor Okai-Mills, the Court made the decision following allegations of Ofori defrauding an online rice trader. According to Inspector Jacob Kuubal, who is prosecuting the case, the complainant, Mr. Daniel Appertey, and his business partner, Ms. Patience Sitsope Zartey, were targeted by Ofori, who expressed interest in purchasing local perfumed rice from them.
The sequence of events unfolded with Ofori ordering 120 bags of the 25-kilogram local perfumed rice at a total cost of Gh₵54,000.00. Subsequently, he requested an in-person meeting with the traders to discuss the purchase further. However, upon receiving the rice and issuing a deposit slip for payment, it was later revealed that the deposit was fraudulent and not honored by the bank.
Further investigations by the police uncovered Ofori's involvement in a larger syndicate that operates by luring victims into delivering products after making online orders, only to make payment with dishonored cheque slips. Efforts are currently ongoing to apprehend another key accomplice, Stephen Nana Boadi Danso, who is currently at large.
This case sheds light on the prevalence of fraudulent activities in online business transactions and serves as a reminder for all traders to exercise caution and due diligence in their dealings. The outcome of this trial will undoubtedly have implications for similar cases in the future and will hopefully serve as a deterrent to potential perpetrators of such fraudulent schemes.
-source GNA | curated by Aisha Yakubu | Ghana Crimes
