A 33-year-old hairdresser, Akos Sewonyadzi, has been granted bail by the Accra Circuit Court after being charged with defrauding a businessman of GH¢498,000 under false pretences.
Her Honour Sedinam A. Kwadam, presiding over the case, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of GH¢200,000 with three sureties, one of which must be justified by immovable property.
The court also imposed strict bail conditions, including mandatory reporting to the case investigator every Monday and Friday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and a prohibition from leaving the jurisdiction.
Sewonyadzi is standing trial for allegedly deceiving the complainant, Gershion Nutsuakor, into supplying her with large quantities of food items under the pretext that her husband, purportedly a senior military officer stationed at Burma Camp, had secured a government contract to supply foodstuffs to the Ghana Armed Forces.
According to the prosecution, the accused approached Mr. Nutsuakor and his wife, Veronica Dagodzo, in September 2024, convincing them to supply various food items worth GH¢98,000, with a promise to settle payment within two weeks.
However, the accused allegedly failed to honour the payment and became unreachable shortly after receiving the goods. A formal complaint was lodged at the Accra Central Police Station on October 30, 2024, leading to her arrest nearly two months later on December 20, 2024.
During interrogation, Sewonyadzi reportedly admitted to receiving the items but claimed the total value was GH¢130,000, not GH¢498,000, and that she had already made partial payments totalling GH¢32,000.
She is said to have refunded GH¢11,000 in cash on two occasions—December 23, 2024, and January 9, 2025—which was handed over to the complainant. Despite further promises to settle the balance within two weeks, no additional payments were made.
The case was first called on March 26, 2025, and later on April 16, 2025, but the accused failed to appear in court on both occasions. As a result, a bench warrant was issued for her arrest.
She was eventually brought before the court on June 10, 2025, and formally charged on June 12 after the charge sheet and case facts were read to her in Ewe, her preferred language.
Sewonyadzi pleaded not guilty to the charge of defrauding by false pretence, contrary to Section 135(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Due to her earlier failure to appear and the potential risk of flight, she was initially remanded into custody pending the outcome of the bail hearing.
The court has directed the prosecution to serve all disclosures and witness statements on the defence ahead of the next sitting.
The case has been adjourned to August 21, 2025, for continuation of trial.
