A 23-year-old small-scale miner has been fined GH¢12,000 or in default, six years imprisonment by the Tarkwa Circuit Court for duping two mobile money vendors and thus receiving an amount of GH¢8,000 payment.
Ahmed Abdul Rahaman pleaded guilty and was therefore charged with four counts of receiving payments through electronic mediums falsely.
The presiding judge, Her Honour Hathia Ama Manu underscored Rahaman’s explanation as a confirmation of his plea of guilt and thus convicted him on his own plea.
The court ordered Rahaman to refund the GH¢8,000 to the two mobile money vendors.
According to Prosecuting Chief Superintendent of Police, Alex Odonkor, the plaintiff, Evelyn Lartey and Prince Appiah are mobile money vendors who reside in the same community as Rahaman in Wassa Asikuma within the Wassa Amenfi East Municipality.
On the day of Eid ul-Fitr April 10, 2024, which happened to be, Rahaman went to Evelyn’s workplace and requested an amount of GH¢1,000 be transferred into his mobile money account which bore the name Sadick Abdulai Baafi.
After the transaction, Rahaman requested that another GH¢1,000 be transferred into the same mobile money account which she did.
He again requested that another GH¢2000 be transferred to the account insisting that his brother was bringing GH¢ 4,000 in physical cash so he could pay her.
Evelyn after some time realised that Rahaman was only deceiving her to get away with her money. Rahaman then pledged to go home and get her the cash but never returned.
Rahaman proceeded to Appiah’s mobile money joint and replicated his modus operandi. This time, he asked Appiah to transfer an amount of GH¢2,000 into his mobile money account which he obliged.
Rahaman then pleaded with Appiah to transfer another GH¢2, 000 into the same account as his brother was on his way with the money.
After Rahaman had gotten the money, he told Appiah that since his brother was delaying, he would rush home and bring his money to him. Appiah agreed to this but Rahaman never returned.
According to the prosecution, Appiah went to Rahaman’s house only to meet Evelyn there looking for Rahaman in a similar situation. The two arrested and took Rahaman to the Wassa Akropong police station for investigation.
Rahaman, in his caution statement, admitted the offence and revealed that he had used money to play aviator games with the hope that he would have won and refunded the plaintiffs’ cash to them but unfortunately lost miserably.
