An Accra Circuit Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of 51-year-old businessman Stephen Badu after he repeatedly failed to appear before the court in an ongoing fraud case.
Presiding judge H.H. Basitia Adjei-Tawiah ordered Badu’s arrest following his absence in more than four consecutive hearings.
Badu is facing charges of Defrauding by False Pretences under Section 131 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). He is accused of obtaining £16,085—equivalent to GH¢234,204.74—from George Amoah under false pretenses.
With the warrant now in effect, law enforcement agencies are expected to take immediate action to locate and present Badu before the court.
Background of case
According to ASP E. Haligah, the prosecutor, the complainant, George Amoah, resides in the United Kingdom with his wife, Perpetual Osei-Tutu. In 2023, Perpetual came into contact with Badu through a WhatsApp group, where they developed a relationship.
Badu presented himself as a businessman capable of assisting her in acquiring land and constructing a house in Ghana.
Intrigued by the offer, Perpetual introduced Badu to her husband, George Amoah.
During their discussions, Badu reaffirmed his ability to secure land and build a six-bedroom self-contained house in Amasaman for the couple. Trusting his words, Amoah began sending funds as requested by Badu to finance the project.
To maintain trust, Badu periodically sent updates, including calls, videos, and pictures, showing the supposed progress of the construction.
In a further move to solidify his deception, Badu invited Amoah to Ghana to inspect the building. Amoah, accompanied by his nephew Kingsley Hatsu, traveled to Ghana and met with Badu, who took them to a house under construction in Amasaman, claiming it was their property.
However, while taking pictures and videos of the structure, an enraged man confronted Amoah, demanding to know why he was photographing the building.
Amoah, believing he was the rightful owner, explained his dealings with Badu.The confrontation escalated when Badu failed to prove ownership and, instead of providing evidence, fled the scene.
All attempts by Amoah to locate Badu proved futile, leading him to petition the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for assistance.
After investigations, the police tracked Badu to his hideout in Kasoa and arrested him. It was later revealed that Amoah had sent a total of £16,085.00 (GH¢234,204.74) to Badu under false pretenses.
