Two granted GH¢200K bail each over maize fraud
An Accra Circuit Court has granted bail in the sum of GH¢200,000 each with three sureties to two men accused of defrauding a commodity trader of 4,132 bags of maize, valued at GH¢888,380.
The Court ordered that one surety for each accused person must be justified with landed property.
Isaac Danso, 39, a freight forwarder, and Desmond Appiah, 50, a businessman, pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud Mr Ibrahim Gomna.
They are expected to reappear before the Court on June 17, 2026, for a case management conference.
Chief Inspector Clement Jerry Acquah, prosecuting, told the Court that the complainant, Mr Gomna, is an entrepreneur and commodity trader.
He said Danso, also known as Oheneba and resident at Oyarifa, together with Appiah, a resident of Katamanso, met the complainant in February 2025 and introduced themselves as commodity traders.
The prosecution said Appiah informed Mr Gomna that he had customers who required 4,000 bags of maize for a poultry farm at Asutuare.
A contract was subsequently signed for the supply of 4,132 bags of maize at GHC215.00 per 50kg bag, bringing the total value to GHC888,380.00.
Chief Inspector Acquah said the accused persons allegedly delivered the maize to Merep West Farms at Asutuare, sold each bag at GHC130.00, collected the proceeds, and used the money for personal gain.
The prosecution said the accused persons subsequently went into hiding until their arrest following a complaint lodged with the police.
Chief Inspector Acquah told the Court that investigations were ongoing.
Counsel for the accused persons, in his bail application, argued that the transaction was purely business-related and that his clients had refunded GHC170,000.00 from the proceeds of the sales.
He further submitted that the accused were breadwinners with fixed places of abode and credible sureties, adding that bail would enable them to adequately prepare their defence.
The Court directed the prosecution to file and serve all necessary documents on the accused persons before the next adjourned date.
المصدر: MyJoyOnline (GH)