A failed New Patriotic Party(NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Subin Constituency in the Ashanti Region and businessman, Valley Acheampong, is still in lawful custody after failing to meet his bail conditions.
The accused person was charged with defrauding another businessman in the sum of GHc700k and was on March 28, granted bail in the same sum.
In Court on Wednesday, April 27, the prosecutor ASP E. Nyamekye told the Court that, the Accused is still in custody because he has not met his bail conditions.
Valley Acheampong also told the court that, they were yet to serve the accused with disclosures.
Counsel for the accused person Lawyer Simon Animeley wanted a bail variation.
But, the court said, he should apply formally to the High Court if he wants bail variation for his client.
The case has been adjourned to May 19, 2022, for a case management conference.
The accused was not present in court when the case was called.
The court before adjourning the case urged the prosecution to ensure that the police bring the accused to court at the next sitting.
Six bedroom house saga
The accused is said to have advertised selling his six-bedroom uncompleted house for GHc820k but after receiving GHc700k for its sale, he refused to hand over documents to the Complainant.
Upon arrest, after the complainant had reported the case, the accused said, he took that money as a loan but not to sell his property.
The Prosecutor told the Circuit Court in Accra presided over by Her Honour Mrs Susanna Edufful that investigations at the Lands Commission revealed that, the accused had used that same property to secure several loans.
Valley Acheampong pleaded not guilty to the charge of defrauding by pretence and was granted bail in the sum of GHc700.
He is also to produce two sureties one of whom is to be justified with landed property and a title deed to be deposited with the registrar of the court.
Brief facts
The brief facts of the case as presented to the court by ASP Nyamekye were that the complainant Solomon Kwabi is a businessman, resident at Garden Estate, Teshie.
Whilst accused person Valley Acheampong is also a businessman, resident at Baastona-Spintex.
According to the prosecutor, in February 2020, the accused person advertised his six-bedroom uncompleted house at Baastona-Spintex for sale through an Estate agent, Kwadwo Owusu, a witness in this case.
He told the court that the Complainant together with the witness met the accused person and they agreed on a price of GHc820, 000.
Valley Acheampong said the Complainant made payment to the accused person of which some of the monies were paid through the witness and a receipt of payment was issued to the Complainant.
The prosecutor told the court that, a total amount of GHc700, 000 was paid to the accused person and the Complainant demanded to see the documents of the said building so that he could add the remaining GHc120, 000 to complete the payment.
Another buyer
“To his surprise, the accused person sent him a message that he has sold the same building to another buyer. The complainant then demanded his money but the accused failed to give the same to him.
“The complainant then petitioned the Director-General/CID on October 27, 2021,” the prosecutor noted.
He said, “on November 2, 2021, the accused was arrested and in his investigations cautioned statement, he stated that he borrowed the said money of GHc700, 000 from the complainant but not to sell his building to him.”
He told the court that, “the Accused person Valley Acheampong was shown the receipt payment as well as messages sent to the Complainant but could not give ta tangible reason as to why he issued the receipt and the messages.
“Police asked accused person to produce the original copy of the documents of the said building but he could not produce same. Investigations at the Lands Commission revealed that the said land is registered in the name of Kwadwo Adjei the same person who issued the indenture for the accused person.
“Meanwhile investigations at DCI Microfinance, Accra also indicated that the accused person has used the original land certificate of the building to secure several loans at the said facility.
He was arraigned after investigations and the accused was charged with the offence.
