An Accra Circuit Court has granted a GH¢50,000.00 bail with three sureties to a 32-year-old painter for alleged fraud. 

Michael Ansah alias Paa was said to have collected $40,500.00 from Mr Quacy Freeman under the pretext of buying and importing a Mercedes Benz GLE vehicle for him. 

Ansah is facing one count of defrauding by false pretence and two counts of resisting arrest, to which he pleaded not guilty. 

The court presided over by Mr Isaac Oheneba-Kuffuor-Kuffuor, directed that the sureties be justified in moveable or immovable deeds. 

The case has been adjourned to September 25, 2023. 

Police Chief Inspector John Gohoho told the court that Mr Freeman was a Trader and resident of Kwabenya while the accused was a Painter who lived in Ogbojo, Accra.   

He said in November 2022, Ansah went to Freeman’s shop with pictures of a Mercedes Benz GLE vehicle which he claimed he purchased in the United States of America and had been using there for some time. 

Ansah also provided proof of ownership of the vehicle, and asked Freeman to pay $40,500.00 for him to ship it for him. 

He then introduced Freeman to a man named Fred, who would ship the vehicle to him in Ghana. 

Chief Inspector Gohoho said Ansah obtained a total of $40,500.00 from the Freeman and promised to deliver the vehicle within one month but failed and started giving excuses to the complainant 

He said on June 6, 2023, Freeman reported the matter to the police, which led to Ansah’s arrest at Kwabenya. 

The prosecution said that during his arrest, Ansah struggled with police and managed to flee.  

After fleeing, Ansah took refuge at a shop in Abom, a suburb of Kwabenya suburb. He was traced to the shop and arrested. 

Ansah struggled with the police for an hour at the shop before he was overpowered and arrested with the help of a reinforcement team. 

During the investigation, Ansah admitted the offences in his cautioned statement and said he was unable to ship the vehicle because it was stolen from a white person in the United States of America. 

Ansah then pleaded to be given up to two weeks to refund the money but failed to do so. 

He was charged with the offence and was directed by the police to appear before court on July 7, 2023, but he refused to attend court and changed his place of abode.   

Ansah was issued a reminder, but he ignored the directives and went into hiding again. 

A bench warrant was issued for his arrest. 

Ansah was arrested on August 14, 2023, at his hideout at Teiman, near Oyarifa. 

Source: GNA