A 51-year-old civil engineer, Nana Obeng Tandoh, appeared before the Adabraka District Court, Accra, on Thursday, charged with defrauding by false pretence.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted GH¢30,000.00 bail with two sureties to be justified.
Nana Tandoh allegedly took GH¢24,000.00 from a staff of the Ghana Immigration Service under the pretext of securing an accommodation but went into hiding.
Prosecuting, Apewah Achana, Chief Inspector of Police, told the court, presided over by Nana Abena Asoh Owusu-Omenyo, that the complainant, Mr Mumuni Labaran, an immigration officer, did not have a fixed place of abode. The accused, a civil engineer, was also said to have no permanent residence.
The prosecution said Mr Labaran had been transferred to Accra and was in search of accommodation for his new posting.
She said in June 2025, he was introduced to the accused through an accommodation agent for assistance in renting a room.
The court heard that Nana Tandoh, who claimed to have several apartments available for rent, took the complainant to one located at Dzorwulu, Accra, which was nearing completion.
After inspecting the property, the complainant expressed interest, and the accused collected GH¢24,000 from him as a year’s rent advance, promising to complete the room within a month.
However, the prosecution said the accused failed to deliver on his promise and subsequently went into hiding.
In his efforts to trace the accused and recover his money, the complainant discovered that he was among several victims allegedly defrauded by Tandoh using the same apartment.
Chief Inspector Achana said that on September 19, 2025, the accused was arrested by the Nima Divisional CID in connection with a similar offence.
Nana Tandoh will appear again on October 30.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
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