Two Nigerian businessmen accused of defrauding a colleague of $20,000 (GHC 336,000) have appeared before the Dansoman Circuit Court.

Patrick Piniki, 57, and Adawale Julius, 52, allegedly took the money from the complainant under the pretext of securing him a vessel loaded with crude oil from Nigeria.

Charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and defrauding by pretences, both men pleaded not guilty.

Presiding over the case, Judge Halimah El-Alawa Abdul Basit granted bail to each accused in the sum of GHC 200,000 with three sureties, who must be public servants earning at least GHC 3,000 monthly.

The court stipulated that the sureties must reside within its jurisdiction, and the accused must report to the police every two weeks. Additionally, they were required to deposit their identification cards with the court’s registry.

Failing to meet these conditions, their bail terms were later varied. They were subsequently granted bail under the same GHC 200,000 sum, but with sureties earning GHC 2,000 monthly. All sureties were required to be justified, with all other conditions remaining unchanged.

The case has been adjourned to April 2, 2025.

Meanwhile, a third suspect, identified as Engineer Chidi, remains at large.

Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder informed the court that the complainant, Sawine Menual, resides in Kasoa, Central Region, while the accused persons live in Tema.

According to the prosecution, in November 2024, the complainant sought to invest in the crude oil business and contacted Piniki through a friend named Olowo, who had experience in the oil sector.

Piniki subsequently reached out to Julius in Nigeria, and both travelled to Ghana to finalize the business arrangement. The complainant met with them in Tema, where they held several meetings at a hotel.

During these discussions, the accused promised to secure a vessel loaded with crude oil from Nigeria and requested an initial payment of $10,000 to be sent to Engineer Chidi, allegedly a manager of the vessel.

Later, Chidi arrived in Ghana and assured the complainant that the vessel would soon arrive. The accused then demanded an additional $10,000 for loading expenses, which the complainant paid. However, the vessel never materialized.

In total, the complainant lost $20,000 (GHC 336,000). When he demanded a refund, the accused only returned $3,200, leaving a balance of $16,800 unpaid.

In December 2024, Engineer Chidi left Ghana for Nigeria without informing the complainant. After unsuccessful attempts to recover his funds, the complainant reported the matter to the Accra Regional Police Command, leading to the arrest of Piniki and Julius.

During police investigations, Piniki denied any wrongdoing, while Julius admitted that they had collected money for the crude oil business, which ultimately did not materialize.

……

Explore the world of impactful news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!

Click on the link to join the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x

No spam, just the stories that truly matter! #StayInformed #CitiNewsroom #CNRDigital