Tarkwa court fines miner GH¢12,000 for fraudulent electronic transactions
The Tarkwa Circuit Court, presided over by Mrs. Hathia Ama Manu, also ordered the miner, Ahmed Abdul Rahaman, to repay the stolen amount to his victims.
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A 23-year-old small-scale miner has been fined GH¢12,000 or, in default, faces six years in prison for defrauding two mobile money vendors of GH¢8,000 through false electronic transactions.
The Tarkwa Circuit Court, presided over by Mrs. Hathia Ama Manu, also ordered the miner, Ahmed Abdul Rahaman, to repay the stolen amount to his victims.
Rahaman was charged with four counts of receiving payments through false electronic pretenses. He pleaded guilty with an explanation, but the court determined his explanation confirmed his guilt and convicted him accordingly.
Chief Superintendent of Police Alex Odonkor, who prosecuted the case, stated that the victims, Evelyn Lartey and Prince Appiah, were mobile money vendors in Wassa Asikuma, a community where Rahaman also lived.
On April 10, 2024, during Eid ul-Fitr, Rahaman approached Evelyn at her workplace and requested a GH¢1,000 transfer to an MTN mobile money account under the name Sadick Abdulai Baafi. After completing the transaction, he persuaded her to send an additional GH¢1,000 to the same account, followed by another GH¢2,000, promising that his brother would soon arrive with GH¢4,000 in cash to settle the debt. However, after taking the money, Rahaman failed to return.
Rahaman then moved on to Appiah’s mobile money shop, where he repeated his scheme. He convinced Appiah to transfer GH¢2,000 to the same account, followed by another GH¢2,000, again using the excuse that his brother was on the way with cash to reimburse him. After collecting the money, Rahaman claimed he needed to go home briefly but never returned.
When Appiah went to Rahaman's house to confront him, he found Evelyn already there, accusing Rahaman of defrauding her using the same method. The two victims apprehended Rahaman and handed him over to the Wassa Akropong police.
During the investigation, Rahaman admitted to the offense, explaining that he had used the money to gamble on the aviator game, hoping to win enough to repay the victims. Unfortunately, he lost all the funds.
The court’s ruling emphasized both punishment and restitution, ensuring Rahaman would face consequences for his actions and make amends to the victims.
