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A 54-year-old farmer, believed to be part of a vehicle fraud syndicate, has been remanded into police custody by the Amasaman Circuit Court to assist investigations into an alleged GH¢110,000 car fraud.
The accused, Richmond Osei Sarfo, has denied conspiring with others, currently at large, to defraud Mr Raphael Kwoa, an accountant residing at Mataheko, Accra, under the pretext of selling him a vehicle.
Sarfo is expected to assist police in arresting his alleged accomplices and will reappear before the court on January 29, 2026.
Police Chief Inspector Salifu Nashiru, prosecuting, told the court, presided over by Justice Alexander Graham, a High Court Judge with additional responsibility at the Circuit Court, that the accused was part of a syndicate involved in car fraud within Accra and its environs.
In July 2024, prosecution said the complainant saw an advertisement for an unregistered Hyundai Tucson 4×4 on the Jiji online marketing platform.
He contacted the number attached to the advert and was directed to the purported owner after being told the advertiser was only an agent.
After negotiating a price of GHC120,000, the complainant was directed to meet the accused at Amasaman.
On July 22, 2024, the complainant sent a friend to inspect the vehicle at Sonitra, and later joined him after receiving a favourable report.
The prosecution said the complainant met the accused at the Amasaman Government Hospital, where Sarfo claimed to work as a medical practitioner.
The accused, together with his alleged brother, handed over the vehicle documents for verification. Satisfied with the documents, the complainant paid GHC110,000.
Sarfo then asked his “brother” to accompany the complainant to where the vehicle was parked.
However, while travelling in a taxi, the alleged brother jumped out during traffic and fled with the ignition key.
The complainant later failed to trace both the accused and the vehicle. Investigations revealed that the documents used were not original, and the actual owner of the vehicle provided authentic documents to the police.
Police surveillance led to the arrest of the accused on January 9, 2026, when he was allegedly involved in a similar offence at Achiaman.
An identification parade held on January 12, 2026, at the Amasaman Divisional Police Headquarters, saw the complainant and his friend positively identify Sarfo.
Although the accused applied for bail, citing fixed abode and availability of sureties, the prosecution opposed the application, leading to the court remanding him into custody.
Source: GNA