Musician Akosua Adjepong has dismissed reports she was arrested and granted bail for allegedly conspiring to defraud a businessman to the tune of ¢105,000.
Akosua Adjepong, when contacted by JoyNews, stated that she was unhappy with media reports claiming she was arrested and subsequently granted bail.
She denied ever being arrested. Confusingly, however, she indicated that she was granted bail after appearing in court on Tuesday.
The musician stated that she pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail in the sum of ¢3,000 but not ¢160,000 as published by some media houses.
Akosua Adjepong refused to comment on the substance of the matter because it is in court.
Background
Akosua Adjepong was hauled before the Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday for allegedly conspiring with another person to defraud a businessman of ¢105,000 in a land sale.
Prosecutors claim that the musician and a man identified as Frank Agyemang (Killer Boss), who is her cousin, sold a parcel of land – worth ¢160,000 – which they did not own to the businessman.
They have jointly charged the two with conspiracy to commit crime and fraudulent transaction.
The case
The prosecutor, ASP Agnes Boafo told the court, presided over by Cecilia Dapaa Mireku, that, the complainant in the case was a car dealer who contacted the musician in February 2017 that he wanted a parcel of land by the roadside to sell his cars.
“Later Akosua introduced Agyemang to the businessman as her brother who had a plot of land opposite the West Hills Mall for sale. The businessman after inspecting the land showed interest,’’ she said.
ASP Boafo added that “They then took the businessman to the Lands Commission, went into one of the offices and came out with someone who confirmed that the land indeed belonged to Agyemang, and upon this, the businessman became convinced.”
The prosecutor told the court that, the businessman made several payments amounting to ¢105,000 for the land and later added a Toyota RAV4 valued at ¢100,000 to Agyemang.
Mr Agyemang had to reimburse the businessman with an amount of ¢40,000 which he agreed to settle with another plot of land.
“When the businessman went to work on the land, another person came to claim ownership of the land with original documents. He reported the matter to the police leading to Akosua and Agyemang’s arrest. Agyemang, however, released the vehicle to the police,’’ ASP Boafo told the court.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Agyemang, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the sum of ¢160, 000 with three sureties, one to be justified. Akosua Adjepong was not in court.
Not guilty
The musician reacting to the case fended off claims stating that she did not have dealings with the businessman.
She narrated in an interview with JoyNews’ Maxwell Amoofia that, “He wanted a land where he can sell his cars and I said I have a land but I am not selling mine but I have a cousin who has a land right opposite the West Hills Mall so we all went together to meet my cousin and then from there we went to the Lands Commission to verify the ownership of the land.”
According to her, she witnessed the first payment of ¢65,000 after which she travelled.
Akosua Adjepong said the businessman made other payments – ¢30,000 and ¢10,000 – in her absence remaining a balance of ¢60,000. “But the 60,000 he can’t pay so he will give him a car. So the car he gave my cousin was RAV4 and that one he said it was ¢100,000 so in this case my cousin will be owing him ¢40,000 so my cousin said ‘let me give you another land to replace the ¢40,000’. All of this I was not there.”
The musician added that the businessman complained later that another individual came to claim that he was the rightful owner of the land.
“So he went to the police station saying that he doesn’t want the land anymore but somebody says the land is for him,” the ‘Frema’ hit singer said.
Akosua Adjepong revealed that her cousin has returned the RAV4 to the businessman and it is left with the ¢105,000 which he was in the process of refunding.
She stressed that her cousin genuinely owns the land, insisting that did not intend to defraud the businessman.
The hearing continues on November 13, 2017.
