A 47-year-old teacher, Ernestina Koranteng, has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly stealing $11,000 and defrauding a Ghanaian resident in the United States of $33,400 between 2020 and 2021.
She allegedly collected the money to construct a house at Ablekuma-Joma in Accra and establish a pharmacy shop for the complainant but failed to fulfill her promises.
Instead, she reportedly took the complainant to a facility at Dansoman, which was being rented for short stays, and claimed she had purchased it for her. She further alleged that she built the house, but it was later demolished.
Koranteng has been charged with two counts of stealing and two counts of defrauding by false pretenses. She pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mr. Isaac Addo, granted her bail of one million Ghana cedis with three sureties who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Daniel Ofori-Appiah, was directed to comply with disclosure rules. The case has been adjourned to April 9, 2025.
Background
According to the prosecution, the complainant hails from Akim Asafo in the Eastern Region but resides in the United States, while the accused is from Aburi and lives in Dansoman, Accra.
In 2020, the complainant imported an unregistered Chevrolet Sonic sedan, valued at $5,500, and a VW Passat sedan, valued at $6,000. She entrusted both vehicles to Koranteng, who later sold them. The accused informed the complainant that she used the proceeds to develop a parcel of land she had acquired for her at Ablekuma-Joma.
The complainant subsequently sent additional amounts totaling $18,400 to Koranteng to develop the land.
In 2024, the accused convinced the complainant to send her $15,000 to establish and operate a pharmacy.
However, in December 2024, when the complainant returned to Ghana and asked to see the house and pharmacy, the accused took her to a house at Dansoman with GPS number GA-507-7636, claiming she had bought it for her.
“When the complainant requested the accused to open the house for inspection, the accused claimed the caretaker had traveled,” the prosecution said.
When asked about the pharmacy, the accused admitted that none existed.
Alarmed by the developments, the complainant reported the matter to the police on January 22, 2025, leading to Koranteng’s arrest the next day.
Investigation Findings
Investigations revealed that the house at Dansoman did not belong to the complainant but was being rented for short stays. Additionally, there was no pharmacy shop.
On January 23, 2025, the accused led the police to a bare plot of land at Ablekuma-Joma, claiming it was the site where she had built the house, but it was later demolished. However, investigations found no evidence that any house had been demolished on the said land.
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