Try asking the following...
JUDGMENT
JUDGMENT
FACTS:
The accused person was charged and arraigned before this court on 14th June,
2021 on a charge of defrauding by false pretences contrary to Section 131 of
the Criminal Offences Act, (1960) Act 29.
The brief facts presented by the prosecution are that the complainant, Theresa
Adjei, is aged 72 years old, an Evangelist, and lives at Community 2, Tema.
The accused person is also 49 years old, a carpenter, and lives in Tema
Newtown. The prosecution alleges that the complainant and one Benedicta
Galley, are family friends. In the year 2018, the complainant discussed her
intention to buy a house within Tema Metropolis with the said Benedicta
Galley, who passed the information on to Kojo Kukubor, who was a house
agent now deceased. In March 2019, Kojo Kukubor called Benedicta Galley
and informed her that the accused person had two rooms located at J County,
a suburb of Community 2, Tema, for sale. On April 20, 2020, the accused
person showed the house to the complainant in the presence of witnesses, and
the complainant showed interest in buying same.
The accused person quoted the price of the house as GH¢140,000.00 in the
presence of the witnesses and the complainant made a part-payment of
GH¢25,000.00 to the accused person in the presence of witnesses for
documentation and to settle the tenants occupying the rooms to vacate the
house. In May 2020, the complainant went to the house to start renovations
only to see a notice on the wall that the "house is not for sale." The complainant
became alarmed and contacted Kojo Kukubor, who went to Tema
Development Corporation to conduct a search which proved that the accused
person had no title to the house ton transfer to the complainant.
According to the prosecution, the accused person went into hiding after
collecting the money. On 15th August, 2019, a complaint was lodged at the
Community 2, Tema Police Station, and the accused person was arrested from
his hideout at Tema Newtown. During investigations, it was discovered that
the house belonged to the accused's late father and he sold sell the house
without his siblings' knowledge. During investigations, an amount of
GH¢16,500.00 was retrieved from the accused and handed over to the
complainant. After investigations, the accused person was charged with the
offence and brought before this Court.
THE PLEA
The self-represented accused person pleaded not guilty to the charge after it
had been read and explained to him in