The Ghana Police Service is on the hunt for a couple accused of defrauding their landlady of GH¢260,000 in Sakumono, Accra.
This follows the issuance of a bench warrant for their arrest by an Accra Circuit Court on August 21, 2024.
Gifty Ansu Gyamfi, a trader, and Stephen Appau, a miner, are reported to have collected the money under the pretext of supplying gold to their landlady but failed.
They have been charged with conspiracy and defrauding by false pretences.
When the matter was called on September 4, 2024, the couple were still absent from court.
At the last sitting, the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Ebenezer Teye Okuffo and Inspector Felix Agyei informed the court that the couple had been notified to appear in court, but they were absent.
The prosecution therefore prayed for the court, presided over by Isaac Addo, to issue a bench warrant against the couple against the couple and adjourned the matter to September 4, 2024.
The pair missed their second court appearance on September 4, 2024. This meant that the bench warrant issued against them earlier on was still valid.
The case of the prosecution was that the complainant, Doris Animah Tando, is a businesswoman who lives in Sakumono.
Gifty is married to Appau, a miner who is at large.
The prosecution said the couple were tenants to Tando in Sakumono.
In 2022, Gifty and her husband collected GH¢260,000 from Tando to supply her with gold.
Appau, after collecting the money, went into hiding and failed to supply the gold.
Several efforts were made by Tando to either get the gold or her money failed.
A report was made to the police, and Gifty was arrested. In her caution statement, she stated that she only received GH¢60,000 from Tando, and the remainder went to her husband, Appau.
Appau was invited to the Police Station repeatedly, but he failed to show up and gave several excuses.
However, Appau brought an undertaking letter through Gifty promising to refund the money to Tando within three months starting in March 2024, but he failed to keep his word.
The police said attempts were underway to serve Appau with a criminal summons to appear in court.