The Dansoman Circuit Court has granted bail to two businessmen accused of defrauding a fellow businessman of $20,000 (GH¢336,000) under false pretenses.
The accused, Patrick Piniki, 57, and Adewale Julius, 52, were each granted bail set at GH¢200,000 with three sureties. As part of the bail conditions, all sureties must be public servants earning a minimum of GH¢3,000 and residing within the court’s jurisdiction. The sureties are also required to be justified.
Presiding over the case, Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit ruled that the accused must report to the police every two weeks and deposit their passports at the court registry.
Piniki and Julius are facing charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and defrauding by false pretenses, in violation of Sections 23(1) and 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
According to Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder, who is leading the prosecution, the accused allegedly conspired to deceive the complainant, Sawine Menaul, into parting with $20,000. They reportedly claimed they could facilitate the acquisition of a vessel loaded with crude oil from Nigeria, a deal that later proved to be fraudulent.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty and later sought a modification of their bail conditions, requesting a reduction in the minimum earnings requirement for their sureties from GH¢3,000 to GH¢2,000. The court approved the request, but all other conditions remained unchanged.
Meanwhile, a third suspect, identified as Engineer Chidi, remains at large, with authorities intensifying efforts to apprehend him.
The case has been adjourned to April 2, 2025, for further proceedings.
Brief Facts
Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder narrated to the court that the complainant, Sawine Menaul, a businessman residing in Kasoa, sought to venture into the crude oil business in November 2024.
The Court heard that through a friend named Olowo, he was introduced to the first accused person (A1), Patrick Piniki, a Nigerian businessman residing in Tema. A1 then contacted the second accused (A2), Adewale Julius, in Nigeria, and both later travelled to Ghana to meet the complainant and discuss the business.
The complainant met with the accused persons in Tema, where they lodged in a hotel and held several meetings. The accused assured him of their ability to secure a vessel from Lagos, Nigeria, for the transaction.
Based on these assurances, the complainant was persuaded to pay $10,000 to a third accomplice, Engineer Chidi (A3), who A2 claimed was his friend and the vessel manager in Lagos.
A3 later arrived in Ghana, reinforcing the promises that the vessel would soon arrive. The accused persons then demanded an additional $10,000 for the vessel’s loading, which the complainant paid, believing the deal was genuine.
However, the transaction turned out to be fraudulent, and the vessel never arrived. In total, the complainant lost $20,000, equivalent to GH¢336,000.
When the complainant repeatedly demanded a refund, only $3,200 was returned by A1 and A3, leaving an outstanding balance of $16,800 (GH¢282,240).
In December 2024, A3 left for Nigeria without informing the complainant. After several failed attempts to recover his money, the complainant reported the matter to the Accra Regional Police Command, leading to the arrest of A1 and A2.
During investigations, A1 denied any wrongdoing, while A2 admitted that they had collected the money for a crude oil transaction that did not materialize.
The case remains under investigation.
