Frank Kofi Frimpong, a Senior Forestry Officer who was held for defrauding Ghana Muslim Mission and some members, has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court.
Frimpong was said to have defrauded Sheikh Dr Amin Bonsu, President of the Ghana Muslim Mission of GHS1,500,000 and one Stephen Nana Agyei and other members of the Mission of an amount of GHS5,126,000.
He was also said to have issued false cheques with face value of US$50,000 and GHS4,000,000 to be drawn by Stephen Agyei and GHS100,000 to be drawn by Amin Bonsu.
The court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah at the end of the trial found Frimpong guilty on two counts of defrauding by false pretences, and four counts of issue of false cheques.
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Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evans Kesse, the prosecutor said earlier that, the complainants Stephen Nana Agyei is a Businessman and Sheik Dr. Amin Mohammed Osei Bonsu is a Medical Practitioner.
The prosecution said Frimpong, lived at Coastal Estate, Tema. It said during the year 2010, Frimpong met Stephen at Dome Railways crossing, Accra, and during a conversation, Frimpong introduced himself as a senior official in charge of a tree Plantation Project funded by the United Nation and World Bank.
The prosecution said Frimpong gave Stephen a tutorial about how the project was handled and managed to convince him into believing that the project was viable to invest in.
It said Stephen informed Dr. Amin Bonsu about the project and some days later, Frimpong scheduled a meeting with the two complainants where they then became interested.
The prosecution said upon hearing the project was viable, Frimpong convinced them to use their land situated at Nkodua in the Ashanti Region for the project, which they did and informed them that the financial support from the United Nations and World Bank came after the project had commenced.
Frimpong suggested that they plant Moringa, and based on his directives, the project was started in 2015 when he promised that after three months, the United Nations and World Bank would refund the pre-financed cost incurred.
The Prosecution said after three months, Frimpong started giving excuses that the entire project was geared towards poverty alleviation and therefore requested, that the Ghana Muslim Mission be informed of the benefits of the project, so it could take advantage of it.
The complainants who were members of the Ghana Muslim Mission informed other members who became convinced and invested in the project.
The prosecution told the court that Frimpong caused deposits to be made into CAL Bank account numbers 0021010539417 and 0051020539414 at the independence Avenue Branch of the bank in the name of Vision 2050 Forestry (GH) Limited.
Frimpong convinced the complainants and other witnesses that the amount invested would be deposited in an Escrow account.
Under the same pretext, Frimpong deceived Dr. Amin Bonsu to part with cash in the sum of GHS1,500,000 towards the project.
The prosecution said, Frimpong within the same period took various sums of money totaling GH¢5, 126,000.00 from Stephen and other members of the mission.
It said the complainants after some time detected that they had been defrauded. They approached the accused who promised to refund their money.
The Prosecution said in Frimpong’s bid to effect payment, he issued Cal Bank cheque Number: 000354 dated April 15, 2017, with a face value of USD50,000; cheque number 000150 dated June 20, 2017, with a stated value of GHS400,000.00; and another dated June 06, 2017, with a nominal value of GHS400,000. and UMB cheque No.571893 of GHS100,000 to be withdrawn from various branches by the complainants.
The prosecution said all the cheques were returned for lack of funds in the account and when the accused was accordingly informed, he failed to resolve the issue.
It said a report was made to the Police and Frimpong was arrested.
The prosecution said Frimpong admitted the offence and promised to refund the money. Subsequently Frimpong managed to refund GHS78,000.
GNA