A civil servant, Mercy Lilian Danquah, has been arraigned before the Circuit Court in Accra for allegedly conspiring with a contractor to defraud her former senior high schoolmate, Issah Abdullah, of GH¢360,000.
Ms. Danquah, 41, pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit defrauding by false pretense and defrauding by false pretense.
She appeared before the court, presided over by Mrs. Susana Eduful, on Friday, December 27.
The court granted her bail of GH¢100,000 with two sureties, each earning no less than GH¢2,000 monthly.
A bench warrant has also been issued for the arrest of her alleged accomplice, Kofi Agyei Asante, a 47-year-old contractor.
The case has been adjourned to January 28, 2025.
Brief Facts of the Case
According to the prosecution, Issah Abdullah, a businessman residing in Nungua, Accra, lodged the complaint against Ms. Danquah and Mr. Asante.
The complainant and Ms. Danquah were former classmates at Nungua Senior High School in 2004.
On June 13, 2024, Ms. Danquah allegedly misrepresented to Mr. Abdullah that she and her accomplice, Mr. Asante, needed laptops for a customer.
During the discussions, Mr. Abdullah spoke with Mr. Asante over the phone, who assured him that payment would be made within two weeks.
Trusting their claims, Mr. Abdullah provided 40 Dell laptops valued at GH¢360,000. However, the accused failed to fulfill their payment obligations. Repeated attempts by the complainant to retrieve the money proved futile.
On August 29, 2024, Mr. Abdullah lodged a complaint at the Nungua Police Station, leading to the arrest of Ms. Danquah.
She reportedly admitted to transferring the laptops to Mr. Asante and refunded GH¢50,000, requesting more time to settle the remaining GH¢310,000. Despite her assurances, no further payment was made.
Dissatisfied with the progress of the case at the Nungua Police Station, Mr. Abdullah petitioned the Greater Accra Regional Police Command.
On November 4, 2024, Mr. Asante was arrested from his hideout. Investigations revealed that the accused had no customer seeking laptops, as they had claimed.
Instead, they allegedly sold the laptops and shared the proceeds. During the investigation, Mr. Asante refunded GH¢50,000 to the police.
Both accused persons are expected to reappear in court in January 2025 as the case proceeds.
