62-year-old woman remanded for allegedly defrauding in the sum of $13,000

A 62-year-old self-styled businesswoman has been remanded for allegedly defrauding another businesswoman of $13,000 under various false pretences.

Nana Ama Nwurueze is alleged to have posed as a business mogul who owns expensive properties including Ohemaa Plaza at East Legon, some fishing vessels in Takoradi and a house at Airport in a bid to get the complainant in the case to giver her the money.

The accused person has been charged with one count of defrauding by false pretences.

She was picked up after the court issued a bench warrant for her arrest in December last year after unsuccessful attempts to get her accosted.

Nwurueze, who appeared before the Adabraka District Court presided over by Abena Asoh Owusu-Omenyo, pleaded not guilty to the charge but the court declined her bail application after ruling that evidence on record suggests that the accused was flight risk.

Bail application 

Counsel for the accused, Goerge Asamani, who moved the bail application prayed the court to rescind the bench warrant.

He explained that his client had been unwell and had no intention to run away from facing justice.

He said when granted bail, he would ensure that his client attends trial until the final determination of the matter.

Lawyer Asamani indicated that while in custody, the accused was rushed to the hospital due to her ill health.

Bail opposed

Prosecution led by Chief Inspector Apewa Achana, vehemently opposed the bail application and prayed the court to remand the accused person.

He said the issue was first reported at the Airport Police Station in 2021 but efforts to arrest her was unsuccessful.

Following that, C/Insp. Achana said the complainant, Dorothy Asare, petitioned Criminal Investigation Department leading to her arrest in March 2025.

After her arrest, the prosecutor said the accused was granted a police inquiry bail to be reporting for further investigation but had since, gone into hiding.

That, the prosecutor said prompted the police to file a Ex-parte motion to summon the accused.

He further told the court that while the accused person’s lawyer entered appearance, she never showed up in court adding that she instead, sent medical excuse duties which were not genuine, stressing that the accused, if granted bail, would not avail herself for trial,

“She always rents apartments with limited period, if not for publication we did after the bench warrant was issued, we wouldn’t have been able to arrest her.

“She didn’t show any good fate after she was granted a police enquiry bail,” the prosecutor said adding that they are willing to take her to the hospital anytime she complains about ill health.

Prosecution’s case

Narrating the facts of the case to the court, C/Insp. Achana said Asare got to know the accused through a mutual friend.

The accused, he said made representations to Cynthia that she is a business mogul who owns a lot of properties  in the capital.

The prosecutor added that Nwurueze made the same representations to the complainant and added that she had over 10 containers of goods at the Takoradi port.

The prosecutor said the accused person told the complainant that if she could part $5,000, she would clear the containers and refund the complainant’s money to her in three weeks.

“Upon realising that the complainant was not satisfied, accused, in a bid to convince her made a further representation to her that she was in partnership with Devtracco and showed her an ongoing construction of apartments on her purported property which was to be leased upon completion and would reel in a lot of money,” the prosecutor said.

Based upon these representations, the prosecutor said that the complainant parted with the $5,000 to the accused at her home at Airport.

After a month, Nwurueze contacted the complainant and demanded an $8,000 which she claimed was to help with an issue at the port and she promised to pay back within two weeks.

The complainant obliged and gave cash of same to her.

After three weeks, the complainant contacted Nwurueze and requested the $13,000 but the accused was met with excuses and  failed to make payment to her.

“Some months later, the complainant could not reach her anymore and also discovered that the property at Airport did not belong to accused neither was she in any kind of partnership with Devtracco. 

“Further, accused had relocated from the Airport residence without any trace,” he said.

During investigations, the prosecutor said the accused could not prove that she had any containers to clear in any of the ports in Ghana adding, “All the representations were made with the sole intent to defraud the complainant and the accused in fact, succeeded in obtaining the consent of the complainant to part with $13,000”.

Source: 3news.com