Three persons who allegedly defrauded an energy company of GH¢ 180,000 under the pretext of selling it an abandoned filling station have been remanded into custody by the Accra Circuit Court. The accused persons - Hammeh Senare, a parliamentary candidate of the People's National Convention (PNC) in the 2012 general election, Kojo Opoku, a carpenter, and Ernest Kofi, trader — will reappear before the court on March 11, 2013. They pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit a crime and defrauding by false pretence. Presiding Judge Francis Obiri decided to remand the accused persons to prevent them from interfering with investigations. At the court's sitting in Accra yesterday, the prosecutor, Chief Superintendent Duute Tuaroka, prayed the court to remand the accused persons since investigations have not yet been completed. However, counsel for the accused persons, Emmanuel Bright Akoto, pleaded with the court to grant his clients bail on the grounds that the charges on which they were being held are bailable. According to counsel, his clients have fixed places of abode and would remain available to stand trial if released, but the court declined to grant counsel's prayer. Madina Police picked up the three accused persons for allegedly defrauding the company, Omega Energy Limited, of GH¢ 180,000 under the pretext of selling to the company an abandoned filling station at Dome, which later turned out to belong to another person not connected to any of the accused.