An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a businessman, Alhaji Fareed Amin Yakubu, to 10 years’ imprisonment in absentia after he repeatedly failed to appear before the court to stand trial in a GH¢3 million fraud case.
The court, presided over by His Lordship Samuel Bright Acquah, delivered the judgment after finding that the convict defrauded a businesswoman, Darling Tuffour, of GH¢3,000,000.00 under false pretences and issued dud cheques in the course of the transaction.
The court ordered that the 10-year jail term should begin immediately Yakubu is arrested, since he was not present in court when the judgment was delivered.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the court imposed a fine of 1,000 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢12,000.00. The court further ordered that the custodial sentence and the fine should run concurrently.
Failure to attend trial
Reading the judgment, the trial judge noted that the convict failed to make himself available for trial after being granted bail, despite several notifications from the court.
According to the court, arrest warrants issued for Yakubu could not yield the expected results, as law enforcement agencies were unable to apprehend him, making it impossible for the trial to proceed in his presence.
The judge said the conduct of the convict showed disregard for the authority of the court, and therefore justified the decision to try and sentence him in absentia.
Background
The case dates back to 2023 when Yakubu, 38, was first arraigned before the Circuit Court in Accra on charges of defrauding by false pretences and issuing false cheque.
He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of GH¢3 million with three sureties, one to be justified with landed property.
Prosecuting, Superintendent Augustine Yirinkyire told the court that the complainant, Darling Tuffour, a businesswoman living at East Legon, lent the accused GH¢3,000,000 in April 2021 to support his oil business.
The prosecution said when the time came for repayment, Yakubu issued two cheques valued at GH¢2,100,000.00 and GH¢1,050,000.00, but both were dishonoured by the banks.
Further checks by the complainant revealed that the accused had vacated his office and his whereabouts were unknown, prompting a police report and the issuance of an arrest warrant.
The accused later turned himself in after the warrant was published and was granted bail, but subsequently failed to appear in court, leading to the trial being conducted in his absence and his eventual conviction.
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The post Businessman Jailed 10yrs In Absentia For GH¢3m Fraud appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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