Accra High Court grants bail to Twifo Atti-Morkwa MP in $2.4m fraud case

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.”

On the money laundering charge, the indictment document said “David Vondee, between August 2015 and July 2016 in Accra in the Greater Accra Region, took possession of the sum of two million, four hundred thousand US dollars ($2,400,000) knowing it to be proceeds of crime.”

According to the AG’s Department, the complainant called Kojo Ansah Mensah “is the Director of Africa REI Ghana Limited, while the accused David Vondee is the Chief Executive Officer and owner of Klenam Construction Limited.”

“In August 2015, the complainant, on behalf of his company, entered into a purchase agreement with Klenam Construction Ltd represented by the accused who is the CEO and owner of the company for twenty (20) acres of land situated at Frafraha in the Adentan Municipality at a cost of two million, four hundred thousand US dollars ($2 400,000 00).

“This was after the accused who represented Klenam Construction Ltd at all material times made representations to officials of Africa REI Ghana Ltd that his company owned the twenty (20) acres of land, free and clear of any encumbrances and that the company had title to sell the land to Africa REI Ghana Ltd,” the document said, adding “based on these representations, African REI Ltd paid a total amount of two million, four hundred thousand US dollars ($2,400,000 00) to the accused between August 2015 and July 2016.”

The AG’s Department said investigations however revealed that “these representations were false and that Klenam Construction Ltd had no title to the said land,” adding “investigations revealed that on May 28, 2015, the accused, through his company Klenam Construction Ltd, sought to purchase about eighty acres of land from his grantors at a total cost of nine million, six hundred thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢9,600,000 00).”

“The terms of the agreement required the accused to make an initial payment of one million, six hundred thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢1,600,000 00) to the grantors and to subsequently pay an amount of one million Ghana Cedis (GH¢1,000,000 00) every three (3) months till the agreed purchase price was fully paid,” the document said, adding “other terms of the agreement provided that the accused’s company shall be entitled to only a portion of land commensurate to the amount of money they had paid at the time should the company fail to pay the full purchase price at the agreed period.”

Tags: David Vondee Fraud Twifo Atti-Morkwa MP