Two arrested for defrauding businesswoman

THE Nima Police have arrested two persons for allegedly defrauding a Ghanaian businesswoman of GH¢4,800.
The suspects, Balia Bangura, 62, a Guinean, and Ibrahim Marshall, 35, a UK-based Ghanaian boxer, are currently in police custody pending further investigations.
Five other persons suspected to be involved in the act are currently on the run. Their identities are yet to be established.
The Nima Divisional Police Commander, ACP Angwubutoge Awuni, who made this known to the Daily Graphic, said about two months ago the complainant (name withheld) had a call from an unknown person from Benin.
He said the caller informed the complainant that he wanted to invest in agriculture and that he was transacting the business on behalf of Balia, whom he described as a wealthy businesswoman.
ACP Awuni said the caller told the complainant that he had the complainant’s number from someone who carted goods for her (complainant) some time ago.
He said the caller finally came down to Ghana on two occasions for the purpose of what he described as feasibility studies on the complainant’s palm oil plantation.
He said following the completion of the studies, the complainant became convinced that the caller was a genuine businessman and so she agreed to sell the plantation to him at the cost of $12.5 million.
Following that, he said, Balia came to Ghana and explained to the complainant that a group of men would be following up with the money later.
ACP Awuni said when Balia arrived, the complainant accommodated her in her house for some time until the money arrived.
He said the complainant received a call on Sunday, May 3, 2009 that the group of men had arrived with the money and she was directed to go for it at Tesano, a suburb of Accra, on Wednesday, May 6, 2009.
He said on that Wednesday, the complainant, in the company of Balia, drove to Tesano for the money but on their arrival the group of men said they had made some expenses on their journey to Ghana and, therefore, asked the complainant to pay GH¢4,800, which she paid.
He said the complainant suspected foul play and, therefore, refused to take the money, saying it was dark and so she could not see the money well.
ACP Awuni said the complainant agreed to go for the money the next day and decided to go back home with Balia, who had been staying with her all along.
He said the men disagreed and suggested they go with Balia to lodge in a hotel and return the next day, but the complainant refused.
He said when the complainant arrived home, she quickly locked Balia up in her room and drove to the Nima Police Station to lodge a complaint.
ACP Awuni said when the police arrived at the complainant’s residence, they noticed that someone had tampered with the door.
He said after Balia had been arrested, the police went to Tesano in an attempt to arrest the men who had come with the money, adding that by the time they got there the four men had escaped with the money.
He said early Thursday morning Ibrahim Marshall went to the police station with the intention of visiting a Guinean woman who had been arrested.
He said upon further interrogations, the police became suspicious and arrested Ibrahim, who was later identified by the complainant as a member of the group she had met at Tesano.
According to ACP Awuni, the complainant identified a safe in his (ACP Awuni’s) office which was similar to the safe which contained the money intended for the transaction.
He said the safe in his office had been brought there in connection with a fraud case two months ago.

Picture: The safe which was identified by the complainant as being similar to the one containing the $12.5 million intended for the payment of the transaction.