Widow in court over fraud

Deborah Adjei, a trader, who allegedly took GHC3,130, 800 from a contractor under the pretext of securing the releases of fleet of cars seized by the police, has appeared in court. 

The fleet of cars belonged to Deborah’s late husband.

She allegedly collected the money to “settle” the police who seized her late husband’s fleet of case in a fraud case handled by the Property Fraud Unit of the Ghana Police Service.

According to the police facts before the court, Deborah was to reimburse the complainant for obtaining the fleets of vehicles from the police.

Appearing before Accra Circuit Court, Deborah pleaded not guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretences.

Her accomplices are Winston Gary Jones, one Philip now at large, and one Mujeed Mohammed, now deceased.

The court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah admitted Deborah to bail in the sum of GHC3,500.000 with three sureties, one to be justified.

The court ordered her report to the police every Wednesday.

The matter has been adjourned to July 15, 2024.

The prosecution led by Inspector Drinda Otumfour, who held brief, said the complainant Mallam Issah Ishak was a building contractor residing at Spintex.

The prosecution said Deborah Adjei, aka Deborah Gary Jones was a trader based in Koforidua.

In 2021, a cousin of the complainant, Mujeed Mohammed, deceased, introduced Deborah to the complainant as a friend, who needed help to settle case of fraud being investigated by the police and help retrieve her late husband’s property seized by the Property Fraud Unit of the Police Headquarters.

The prosecution said Deborah confirmed the seizure of her husband’s fleet of cars by the police.

The court heard that the complainant agreed to help on condition that any amount of money given to her would be reimbursed after the cars were released to her.

The prosecution said the complainant then delegated his late cousin, Mujeed Mohammed to visit the police officer in charge of the case to find out the genuineness of Deborah’s claims.

A few months later, the complainant handed over GHC1,600,000 to Deborah to settle the alleged fraud case pending at the Police Station.

The prosecutor said, “nothing was heard from the accused person (Deboah) again until the latter part of the year 2022, after the death of the complainant’s cousin, Mujeed Mohammed.”

He said after the death of Mujeed Mohammed, she called the complainant with the claim that Mohammed had owed her and did not pay until his death.

Subsequently, the prosecution said Deborah visited the complainant at his office and surprisingly told the complainant she still needed to pay the police.

The prosecution said the complainant parted with some money totaling GHC1,230,000 to Deborah.

The court said in May 2024, Deborah visited the complainant in his office and told him that the matter had been settled with the police and that she was only waiting for the release of the fleet of cars.

Deborh also forwarded an unsigned letter purported to be a withdrawal letter authorising the police to discontinue the case.

A few weeks later, the prosecution said Deborah turned up in the complainant’s office and demanded GHC308,000 to be paid to the police as payments for ground rent and safe keeping of the vehicles before the vehicles could be released to her.

On June 25, 2024, at about 1:00pm, Deborah called the complainant to collect GHC300,800 as the remaining balance to be paid to the police.

The prosecution said Deborah was taken to the Consolidated Bank of Ghana and GHC300,800 was withdrawn and handed over to her.

When the complainant demanded meeting the said police officer at the Police headquarters, Deborah took him to the Fitness Centre at the Police headquarters, but failed to identify the officer, who requested the money.

The prosecution said the complainant became suspicious of Deborah’s behavior and reported the matter to the police.

The court heard that Deborah could also not lead the complainant to where the fleet of cars was, and the unit or office handling the case.

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