Car dealer bailed GH¢600,000 over alleged fraud

A 50-year-old car dealer, Yakubu Seidu, has been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court after being charged with defrauding by false pretences in connection with a GH¢600,000 vehicle fraud.

Seidu, who resides at Gbawe-Gonse, is accused of collecting the money from a businessman under the pretext of selling him a 2015 Toyota Land Cruiser. He has pleaded not guilty.

Presiding judge Evelyn Asamoah granted Seidu bail in the sum of GH¢600,000, with four sureties, two of whom must justify their worth with either movable or immovable property.

The case has been adjourned to December 9, 2025.

According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Clemence Takyi, the complainant, Augustine Amankwah, a businessman from Manso-Atwere in the Ashanti Region, was introduced to Seidu as a reputable car dealer.

In 2023, Mr Amankwah expressed interest in purchasing a Toyota Land Cruiser, and Seidu allegedly offered to sell him a 2015 model for GH¢800,000. He even showed photographs of the vehicle to support his claim.

However, after payment was made and the vehicle delivered to the complainant in Kumasi through an associate named Owusu, it turned out to be a 2009 model, not the 2015 version promised.

When confronted, Seidu reportedly agreed to replace the car but later failed to do so. Mr Amankwah then demanded a refund, but repeated efforts to recover his money were unsuccessful.

Following a formal complaint, police arrested Seidu on August 23, 2024. During investigations, the accused requested three months to refund the money and has since paid GH¢120,000, leaving a balance still outstanding.

The court is expected to resume hearing the matter in December, as prosecutors continue to build their case around what they describe as a calculated act of deception in Ghana’s luxury vehicle trade.