A 51-year-old man who allegedly defrauded a young footballer of GH¢395,250 under the guise of securing him a football contract in France has been arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court.
The accused, Ernest Agyeman Prempeh, pleaded not guilty to a charge of defrauding by false pretences when he appeared before the court presided over by Relieving Judge Lawerncia Awurabena Darkowaa.
He has since been remanded into police custody to reappear on June 23, 2025.
According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Teye Okuffo, the complainant, Richard Adomako, a footballer based in Koforidua, was approached by Prempeh in 2023.
The accused allegedly introduced himself as a football agent with connections at the Ghana Football Association (GFA), claiming he could facilitate the complainant’s move to a professional football club in France.
Believing the representation to be genuine, the complainant handed over a total cash amount of GH¢395,250 along with his Ghanaian passport to the accused to process the deal. However, after receiving the funds and the travel document, Prempeh allegedly failed to honour his commitment.
All attempts by Adomako to retrieve his money or passport reportedly proved futile, prompting him to lodge a formal complaint with the police.
Prempeh was later arrested and during police investigations, he allegedly confessed to receiving the money and pleaded for time to refund both the cash and the passport — but did not follow through.
Investigators uncovered that the accused was not a licensed football agent and had no ties to any officials within the GFA, contrary to his claims.
It was also discovered that he used the funds for personal gain rather than for any professional arrangements on behalf of the complainant.
Following his initial arrest, Prempeh was granted police enquiry bail with instructions to report periodically for further directives. However, he failed to comply, ignoring several calls and reminders from the prosecution.
Efforts to reach him through his surety also failed. The surety informed the court that Prempeh had vanished from his known address and had cut all communication.
On May 7, 2025, when the matter was called at Circuit Court 3, Prempeh was absent, prompting the court to issue a bench warrant for his arrest.
His surety, who was present, assured the court of efforts to locate and produce him.
The accused was eventually tracked down and arrested on June 12, 2025, at a hideout in Osu, based on police intelligence.
He remains in custody as the court prepares to continue hearing the case on the next adjourned date.
