Two individuals, Obed Armah, a mechanic, and Richard Wornyoh, a contractor, have been brought before an Accra Circuit Court on charges of conspiracy and defrauding by false pretenses. The case revolves around an alleged swindling incident involving a pastor, Emmanuel Odoi, who was duped of GH¢35,000 under the pretense of purchasing two parcels of land from the accused persons in 2018.
During the court proceedings presided over by Isaac Addo, both Armah and Wornyoh were granted bail in the sum of GH¢50,000 each, with two sureties required for each accused person.
According to the prosecution, led by Inspector Daniel Ofori-Appiah, the complainant, Emmanuel Odoi, is a pastor residing in La, while the two accused individuals lived in Gbawe. The incident unfolded when, in August 2008, the pastor expressed his interest in purchasing a plot of land and discussed it with his wife.
Upon the wife’s recommendation, the pastor was introduced to the accused persons, Armah and Wornyoh, who claimed to have land available for sale in Gbawe. Subsequently, the complainant contacted Armah, who took him to Wornyoh, presenting him as the owner of the land.
In the arrangement, the accused individuals showed the complainant two plots of land in the Gbawe Zero house area, each priced at GHC15,000. The pastor agreed to buy two plots and paid GHC30,000 for the transaction. Additionally, he gave Armah an extra GHC5,000 to purchase building materials for the construction of a single room on the land.
However, after collecting the money, Armah failed to procure the promised building materials, raising suspicions. Eventually, the complainant discovered that the land did not belong to the accused persons, as they had claimed.
Upon realizing the deception, the pastor demanded a refund of his money, but the accused individuals refused to comply. The pastor tirelessly pursued them for ten years in an attempt to recover his funds, but all efforts were in vain.
Finally, in 2018, the complainant reported the matter to the Police at La, leading to the arrest of Armah and Wornyoh. Even though they promised to refund the money after being granted police enquiry bail, they did not fulfill their promise.
The case is now before the Accra Circuit Court, and the accused individuals will be facing charges for their alleged involvement in the fraudulent land sale.
