Court Issues Bench Warrant for 36-year-old US-based Administrator Over Alleged US$50,000 Fraud

An Accra Circuit court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a 36-year-old US-based administrator for allegedly defrauding a businessman in the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00).

The bench warrant follows the failure of the accused, Mary Dede Doku, to appear before his Honour Isaac Addo, when the case was called on Wednesday. Although her lawyer, William Newman, informed the court that his client was not in Ghana, the prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Frimpong, prayed for a bench warrant for the arrest of the accused.

The court, after listening to both parties, issued a bench warrant for Mary Dede Doku.

Per the facts of the prosecution, the complainant, Dennis Ahiable, is a businessman who resides in Nungua in the Greater Accra Region, while the accused, Mary Dede Doku, is an administrator based in America.

The complainant (Dennis Ahiable) is said to have given an amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) to the accused (Mary Dede) to help him purchase a car in 2021.

The payment was made after the accused agreed she could help him buy a car following a discussion about his plans to buy a Range Rover Sport 2020 model.

The prosecution noted that, after taking the money, the accused did not provide the car as promised. After failing to provide the car, the accused in 2022 informed the complainant that, the car dealer had sold the car. She then promised to refund the money to the complainant but failed to do so.

The accused was arrested to assist with investigations on November 2, 2022, after the complainant (Dennis Ahiable) reported the case at the Auto Theft Unit on October 26, 2022.

The facts further stated that the accused, in her caution statement, agreed to take money from the complainant on the promise of getting him a car. She, however, explained that she has reported the said car dealer in the United States.

Prosecution continued that, while investigations were still going on, the accused refunded an amount of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) to the complainant but failed to pay the remaining thirty thousand dollars ($30,000.00) despite all efforts to get her to pay.

The Court has been adjourned to March 27, 2024.