Court issues Bench Warrant for the arrest of alleged fraudsters

An Accra Circuit Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of two persons accused of fraud.

Ibrahim Musah, a trader, and Mohammed Musah aka “Dollar Man,” a businessman, who allegedly took GHS232,000.00 from a trader under the pretext of transferring same to one Zaaku in the United State of America to purchase a Range Rover Sports, 2020 model for him but failed.

They are jointly held for conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretense.

All the accused persons failed to appear before Court for their pleas to be taken.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Frimpong, prosecuting, prayed the Court to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the accused persons, since they failed to appear before it.

The Court presided over by Mrs Angelina Attachie, therefore, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the accused persons.

The matter has been adjourned to May 23, 2023.

The facts are that the complainant, Mr Rashid Haledu, is a trader and resides at Ablekuma while the accused persons are residents of Tetegu and Kasoa, respectively.

The prosecution said in December 2021, the complainant wanted to buy a Range Rover Sports, 2020 model in America.

It said the complainant contacted one Zaaku in New York to buy him the said car and he (Zaaku) told the complainant that the car he wanted was $40,000.00.

The prosecution said Zaaku therefore gave his bank account to the complainant to transfer the money.

It said whilst the complainant was looking for someone who could transfer the money for him, he came across Ibrahim, who said he could transfer the money for him.

The prosecution said the complainant gave cash the sum of GHS232,000.00 equivalent to $40,000.00 to Ibrahim to transfer it to Zaaku's account for the purchase of the vehicle.

It said on December 24, 2021, Ibrahim informed the complainant that he had transferred the money into Zaaku's account whilst Zaaku was also waiting to receive the money in his account.

The prosecution said the FBI contacted him that there was a fraudulent transaction of $40,000.00 on his account and that he could no longer get access to the account.

It said the complainant confronted Ibrahim but he could not confirm whether the money was transferred but mentioned Mohammed as the one he gave the money to do the transfer.

The prosecution said after realising he (the complainant) had been defrauded, he petitioned the Police for investigation.

It said during the investigation Ibrahim was arrested.

The prosecution said Ibrahim mentioned Mohammed as the person, who he said could do the transfer and for that matter he gave the money to him.

It said Mohammed also said he gave the money to one Baraka, who said he was having $40,000.00 in America and could easily transfer the same for the complainant.

The prosecution said the accused persons failed to assist the Police in locating Baraka with the excuse that they do not know where to locate him.

GNA