An Accra Circuit Court has remanded a 48-year-old businessman, Charles Nti Denkyira, into Police custody for allegedly misappropriating $60,000.
Denkyira, who faces stealing charges, pleaded not guilty.
He is scheduled to reappear before the court, presided over by Mr Isaac Addo on October 15, 2024.
The prosecution, led by AsÂsistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Frimpong, stated that the complainant, Baah Kofi Ofori, is a businessman living in ACP Estates, Pokuase, Accra.
He said that Denkyira is a busiÂnessman residing in East Legon.
ASP Frimpong stated that in October 2021, Frank Owusu Fordjour, a Ghanaian living in the United Kingdom and a childhood friend of Ofori, contacted him by phone and persuaded him to invest in a pharmaceutical business he was running with Richard Atuahene and Denkyira, both based in Ghana.
Fordjour asked Ofori to give $60,000 to Denkyira to pass on to Atuahene after being persuaded.
Prosecution told the court that in October 2022 at about 7:00pm at Achimota Shell Filling station, the complainant met the accused and handed over $60,000.00 in cash to the accused for the said purpose.
The court heard that later Richard Atuahene together with the accused called and acknowledged receipt of the said money.
After about an hour of the payment, Prosecution disclosed that the complainant felt uncomfortable about the deal and called Richard Atuahene to return his money to him.
Atuahene informed him that he had given the money to accused, Charles Nti Denkyira, for onward submission to him on the same night.
Later, Prosecution noted that the complainant called the accused, and he told him he was on his way coming with the money but he nevÂer turned up. All efforts made by the complainant to get his money proved futile.
The accused further ceased all forms of communication with the complainant and went into hiding.
Prosecution further stated that the complainant reported the case which led to the arrest of the accused. He admitted to the offence during interrogation and in his caution statement and refunded $11,000 to the Police which was handed over to the complainant.
The accused was admitted to police enquiry bail to be reporting intermittently to assist investigation, but he failed to do so.
All efforts made by the Police for the sureties to produce the accused proved abortive, hence the sureties were put before court for forfeiture of recognisance and the bond was served on them when they failed to produce the accused after several adjournments.
On June 5, 2024, the Police invoked Section 60 (a) of the CrimÂinal Procedure Act 30 and a warrant was issued.
Prosecution said based on intelligence gathering, Police arÂrested the accused in his hideout at Koforidua on October 1, 2024.
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