Accra: Two Nigerian businessmen who allegedly defrauded a colleague of $20,000 (GHC 336,000 cedis) have appeared before the Dansoman Circuit Court. Patrick Piniki, 57, and Adawale Julius, 52, are accused of collecting the money from the complainant under the pretext of securing a vessel loaded with crude oil from Nigeria. Both men have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and defrauding by false pretences, to which they pleaded not guilty.
According to Ghana News Agency, the court, presided over by Halimah El-Alawa Abdul Basit, admitted each accused to bail in the sum of GHC 200,000 with three sureties, who are public servants earning GHC 3,000 a month. The sureties must reside within the jurisdiction of the court, and the accused are required to report to the police once every two weeks. The court also mandated that the accused deposit their identification cards with the court's registry.
However, the accused were unable to meet the bail conditions, leading the court to vary the terms when the session resumed on Monday. Each accused has now been admitted to bail in the same sum but with sureties earning GHC 2,000 a month. The court emphasized that all sureties must be justified and that all other conditions apply.
The matter has been adjourned to April 2, 2025. Meanwhile, a third accused person, known as Engineer Chidi, remains at large. Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder informed the court that the complainant, Sawine Menual, is a resident of Kasoa in the Central Region, while the accused reside in Tema.
The incident dates back to November 2024, when the complainant sought to enter the crude oil business and contacted Piniki through a mutual friend. Piniki, in turn, contacted Julius in Nigeria, and both traveled to Ghana to finalize the business arrangements. The complainant met the accused in Tema, where they held several meetings and were promised a vessel of crude oil from Nigeria.
During these meetings, the accused asked the complainant to pay $10,000 to Engineer Chidi, who was purportedly a friend and a vessel manager. The prosecution stated that Engineer Chidi also traveled to Ghana, assuring the complainant about the imminent arrival of the vessel. Subsequently, the accused demanded an additional $10,000 for 'loading the vessel,' which the complainant paid, believing the transaction was legitimate. It was later revealed to be fraudulent.
Despite making payments totaling $20,000 (GHC 336,000-cedi equivalent), the complainant only received a refund of $3,200, leaving a balance of $16,800. In December 2024, Engineer Chidi returned to Nigeria without notifying the complainant. After unsuccessful attempts to recover his money, the complainant reported the issue to the police at the Accra Regional Command, resulting in the arrest of Piniki and Julius.
During the investigation, Piniki denied any involvement, while Julius confessed that he and others had collected the money for the crude oil transaction, which ultimately did not succeed.