A couple has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court, accused of defrauding an urban planner of GH¢320,000 by falsely promising to sell him a parcel of land at Ofankor. 

The accused, Abass Yaya, 48, and Mamatha Kassim, 52, both traders, face charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and defrauding by false pretences.  

They have pleaded not guilty. 

The court presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah, remanded Yaya into police custody and granted bail to Kassim in the amount of GH¢300,000 with two sureties.  

The case has been adjourned to January 28, 2025. 

Chief Inspector Daniel Danku informed the court that the complainant, Baba Yakubu Mahama, was approached by Yaya in May 2022, who offered a parcel of land at Ofankor for sale.  

Yaya and Kassim led the complainant to the land, which she (Kassim), claimed to own. 

The complainant, after taking coordinates of the land, searched the lot to ascertain the owner.  

A few days later, Yaya allegedly called and pressured the complainant to make payment quickly, claiming that other people were interested in purchasing the land. 

Yaya demanded and received GH¢320,000 from the complainant, assuring him they would hand over the land and its relevant documents.  

However, after receiving the money, the couple went into hiding, and the complainant was unable to get the documents.  

The prosecution said upon further investigation, the complainant realized he had been deceived. 

A report was made to the police at Nima, and on December 16, 2024, the accused were arrested from their respective hideouts. 

During questioning, both Yaya and Kassim admitted to the offence in their caution statements.  

They also confessed to selling the same parcel of land to two other individuals and giving the original documents to a third buyer. 

However, the accused failed to assist the police in locating the other buyers or accomplices involved in the scheme.  

Kassim told the police that she collected the GH¢320,000 from the complainant on Yaya’s instructions.  

She said that her husband had asked her to pretend to be the landowner and handed the money over to him.