The Kaneshie District Courtroom One has convicted and sentenced 37-year-old Gideon Kojo Elliam to 6 months’ imprisonment with arduous labour for defrauding an auto mechanic of GH₵53,000.
The IT technician from Takoradi had accepted cost to provide an auto diagnostic machine however didn’t ship the tools.
Elliam pleaded responsible to the cost, although he contested the complete quantity claimed by the complainant, Mr Daniel Odoi Otu, admitting to receiving solely GH₵37,000.
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The court docket, whereas imposing the custodial sentence, suggested Mr Otu to pursue civil motion to get well any excellent steadiness after Elliam completes his jail time period.
In accordance with Police Chief Inspector Achana Apeweh, who introduced the case information, the incident occurred when Mr Otu, an auto mechanic residing in Kasoa Nyanyano, engaged Elliam’s companies in Might 2023.
Regardless of promising supply by December 2023, Elliam neither supplied the tools nor responded to subsequent contact makes an attempt.
Following his arrest on April 1, 2025, Elliam confessed to investigators that he had diverted the funds for private use quite than buying the promised tools.
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This admission led to his formal cost and subsequent court docket look.
What does the legislation say about fraud?
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Fraud is a critical felony offence in Ghana, primarily ruled by the Felony Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
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Beneath Part 131, fraud is outlined as dishonestly depriving somebody of property, cash, or companies via deception, false pretences, or misrepresentation.
Convicted offenders face imprisonment starting from 5 years (for minor circumstances tried summarily) to 25 years (for extreme fraud prosecuted on indictment).
A intently associated offence, defrauding by false pretences (Part 115), criminalises acquiring items, cash, or credit score via deliberate misrepresentation. This carries a penalty of as much as 5 years in jail, with stricter sentences for large-scale fraud.
Moreover, Ghana’s Anti-Cash Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044) and the Digital Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772) tackle subtle fraud, together with company embezzlement, cash laundering, and cybercrime.
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Cyber fraud, comparable to on-line scams and phishing, can result in as much as ten years’ imprisonment and heavy fines.
The legislation additionally permits victims to pursue civil cures for monetary restoration alongside felony prosecution, as demonstrated in circumstances the place courts advise plaintiffs to file civil fits after felony sentencing.
Ghana’s authorized system treats fraud as a grave crime, with penalties escalating primarily based on the fraud’s magnitude and impression.
