The Assin Fosu District Court has convicted three young men for defrauding a 26-year-old trader of GH¢38,450 through a fraudulent electronic money transaction.

The convicts are 24-year-old footballers Francis Appiah and Emmanuel Oteng, alias Flow Delli, and 21-year-old Emmanuel Antwi, all residents of Assin Breku.

The court, presided over by His Worship Abdul Majid Iliasu, ordered them to refund the full amount taken from the complainant, Shalean Stella Bamfo.

The prosecution said the incident occurred on July 21, 2026, when Appiah allegedly contacted Ms Bamfo and falsely claimed that he had mistakenly transferred money to her.

He reportedly kept her engaged in a lengthy conversation before directing her to a nearby mobile money merchant, where she was deceived into transferring GH¢38,450 through e-cash to three MTN numbers registered in the names of Saar Hassana, Rebecca Bosiako Antwi and Sarah Gyeti Arthur.

According to the prosecution, Appiah later transferred GH¢6,290 to Antwi as his share of the proceeds. The complainant subsequently realised that she had been deceived and reported the matter to the Central North Regional Police Cybercrime Unit.

The three were arrested at a hideout in Assin Breku following investigations involving telecommunications companies, intelligence gathered by the police and a court order. The court was also told that one of the accused admitted to the offence in a caution statement.

After the court convicted the three, they refunded the entire GH¢38,450 to the complainant. In his ruling, His Worship Abdul Majid Iliasu took into consideration that the convicts were first-time offenders but warned them against returning to criminal activities.

The judge cautioned that they risked imprisonment if they were arrested again for engaging in criminal conduct. He urged them to abandon fraudulent activities and pursue legitimate means of making a living.

The court also commended the Central North Regional Police Cybercrime Unit for its efforts in investigating and combating cyber-related crimes in the region.