A businessman has been arraigned before an Accra circuit court for allegedly making false representations, and in the process perpetrating fraud in the sum of GH ¢ 160,000. The accused person, Kwabena Swanzy pleaded not guilty on the charge of defrauding by false pretence before a court presided over by Mrs. Olivia Obeng.

He has been granted bail in the sum of GH ¢ 170,000 with three sureties to be justified and to re-appear on August 17, 2010.

The prosecutor, DSP Kofi Blagodzi, narrating the facts of the case noted that in November 2009, accused person, Kwabena Swanzy approached the complainant and made representation to him that he had imported vehicles to the Port of Tema and needed money to take delivery of them.

According to him, the accused person told the complainant he needed him to help him pay the port duties.

The prosecutor said the accused person, Kwabena Swanzy made the complainant believe that he had all that was required to secure a loan facility from the financial institution, but for his commitments, he could not do so.

He mentioned that under this pretext, accused person made the complainant to front for him to secure a loan of GH ¢160,000 from UT Financial service. "Accused person provided the necessary documentation including documents on a house in Kumasi which he claimed belonged to him as collateral", he added.

DSP Blagodzi said on December 1, 2009, the loan was disbursed in the name of the complainant, which the accused person received.

The prosecutor said the accused person after receiving the money then went into hiding and failed to meet the payment schedule.

He told the court that during investigations, it was found that accused person never imported any vehicle and that the document he produced as collateral for the loan was also found to belong to someone else who bears the same name as him (accused).

According to DSP Blagodzi, when accused person was released on police enquiry bail for further investigation, he went into hiding again.