A Circuit Court in Accra on Tuesday heard a case of how three men kidnapped a businessman from his office, put him in a pit and forced him to sign an undertaking that he owed them $750,000. They also demanded $70,000 ransom for his release. The accused persons, Christian Witt, a scientist, Edward Kwadwo Appiah, driver and Bartholomew Kutiyeri Chirapanga, busmessman, p1eaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy and kidnapping and were remanded in police custody until August 23. Police Prosecutor Chief Inspector Peter Benneh told the court, presided over by Mrs Doris Bempong that on August 1, Witt went to the office of the businessman, Nana Kwadwo Ofosu Arvee, CEO of Europapee company which deals in gold and claimed that he (Aryee) was the same man named George Alhassan to whom he had transferred $750,000 in 2009 to buy him gold. Nana Aryee denied receiving such money, the prosecutor claimed, but said that on August 5 Witt, accompanied by eight men and a uniformed policeman, invaded the premises of Europapee company, arrested Nana Aryee, blindfolded him, and took him to Ashaiman. According to the prosecutor, Nana Aryee's kidnappers took him to a bush between Akatamanso and Adenta, put him in a pit and covered him with wood and weeds. The kidnappers demanded $70,000 from him, but Nana Aryee offered to pay $50, 000. He was ordered to call one of his workers to bring the money, but the person could raise only $17,000 which he was asked to deposit at a place near the Tema motorway roundabout before Nana Aryee would be released. The prosecutor said after receiving the money; the kidnappers refused to release Nana Aryee and rather sent him to Ashaiman where he was kept in an uncompleted building until the next morning. They again sent him back and placed Aryee in the pit. The kidnappers demanded additional GH¢5, 000 and forced Nana Aryee to sign an undertaking that he received an amount of $750,000 from Witt and that he would refund the money or provide gold equivalent after which he was released. Chief Insp. Benneh said the kidnappers went to Aryee's office on August 12 to collect the money but they were arrested by the police.