51-year-old carpenter, Solomon Boye Borquaye, has been remanded into police custody after allegedly collecting GHC300,000 from an entrepreneur with the promise of providing 9.81 acres of land in Oyibi for a factory project.
He faces charges of defrauding by false pretenses but has pleaded not guilty.
Borquaye’s bail plea, presented by Mr. J. K. Yeboah, stated that he has a fixed place of abode and would appear in court if granted bail.
However, the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Richard Amoah, opposed the grant of bail, citing Borquaye’s previous conduct before another Circuit Court, which suggested he might not be available for trial.
Consequently, the accused was remanded by the trial judge until August 10, 2023, when he is expected to reappear in court presided over by Mr. Samuel Bright Acquah.
The prosecution’s case states that in August 2020, the complainant, a 33-year-old entrepreneur from Osu, Accra, sought to purchase land for a factory project.
He was introduced to Borquaye by a land agent and agreed to purchase 9.81 acres of land in Oyibi for GHC1,200,000.
A deposit of GHC300,000 was made, but later, another individual, Sampson Aaron Dontoh, claimed ownership of the land, stating it was registered under his company’s name with Land Title Certificate number TDA 0567.
When informed about the situation, Borquaye offered the complainant an alternative piece of land, but another person, Ibrahim Mahama, also laid claim to it.
The complainant reported the matter to the police, and Borquaye failed to show up when invited for questioning. He was eventually arrested after investigations and admitted to the offense during his caution statement.