The Criminal Division of the Accra High Court has granted bail to Member of Parliament for Twifo Atti-Morkwa, David Vondee, who is alleged to have defrauded a private company of $2.4 million.
The court presided over by Justice Mary Maame Ekue Nsenkyire granted bail in the sum of GHc2m to David Vondee.
The MP has been directed by the court to also produce two sureties both of whom are to be justified.
David Vondee who was arraigned before court on Tuesday, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.
This was after his counsel Godwin Edudzie prayed the court to humbly grant the accused person bail.
According to counsel, aside being an MP from the time of the investigation, he has also cooperated with the police and the investigator.
Counsel said, for all intent and purpose, “we have conducted ourselves in a manner that we will not jump bail.”
The AGs department led by Richard Gyembiby, a Principal State Attorney did not opposed to the grant of bail.
Justice Nsenkyire has also ordered the Prosecution to file disclosures within two weeks and their witness statements two weeks after.
The case has been adjourned to June 30 for case management.
About the alleged $2.4 million fraud
The legislator is alleged to have collected $2.4 million between August 2015 and July 2016 when his National Democratic Congress party was in power with the promise of selling plots of land to a private company called REI Ghana Limited.
Hon. David Vondee is said to have presented himself as the Chief Executive Officer of another private company called Klenam Construction Ltd during the transaction and sold the land located at Frafraha in the Adentan Municipality in the Greater Accra Region to the company.
However, an investigation showed later that Mr. Vondee gave the company lands that did not belong to him and also did not return the huge cash he collected from the company when the company demanded their money back.
According to a Daily Guide report, he has been charged with two counts of defrauding by false pretence contrary to Section 131 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, (Act 29) and money laundering contrary to Section 1(2) (c) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, Act 2020 (Act 1044).
The particulars of offence signed by Vivian K. Osei Tutu, Senior State Attorney on behalf of the Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, said “David Vondee, between August 2015 and July 2016 in Accra in the Greater Accra Region, with intent to defraud obtained the consent of personnel of Africa REI Ltd to part with the sum of two million, four hundred thousand US dollars ($2,400,000) by representing to them that your company owned twenty (20) acres of land located at Frafraha in the Adentan Municipality, free and clear of all encumbrances and that your company had title to sell the land to them, a representation you knew to be false at the time of making it.”