A licensed gold dealer at Tarkwa is currently in police custody for allegedly defrauding three businesswomen to the tune of GH¢1,368,994.35 under the pretext of selling to them 18.35kg of gold. The accused, Victor Essilfie aka Ali, had allegedly taken GH¢530,000, GH¢260,000 and GH¢605,994.77 from one Barbara Aidoo, Agnes Teiman and Eric Akutey Azu respectively. When the complainants demanded their gold, Essilfie allegedly told them he had been robbed of the 25kg of gold he was supposed to give them. He pleaded not guilty to three counts of defrauding by false pretences at an Accra Circuit court presided over by Bric Kyei Baffuor. Essilfie was remanded into police custody for the prosecution to complete investigations in the case. The case has been adjourned to September 29. ASP Annor informed the court that the complainants are based in Accra whilst the accused is a licensed gold dealer in Tarkwa. He narrated that somewhere in July, the complainants transferred various sums of money into the accused person’s account totaling GH¢ 1368994.35 as payment for the gold they wanted to buy. Essilfie after receipt of the money failed to supply the gold to the complainants, according to the prosecutor. Several efforts by them to have Essilfie fulfill his promise proved futile. On August 2, 2011 the accused allegedly called the complainants and informed them that the previous day he was traveling to Accra to distribute 25kg of gold among them but he was attacked by some armed robbers at Nsuaem who took the gold away. The complainants, the prosecutor said, doubted the accused person’s claim and therefore lodged a complaint with the police leading to his arrest. The prosecutor disclosed that the accused in his statement to the police admitted the offence and pleaded with the police to be given sometime to refund the money or supply the gold. This made the police grant him police enquiry bail. However, he failed to refund the money and as a result of that he was charged with the offence.