A 28-year-old lawyer, Magdalene Aba Amporful, has been hauled before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding a nurse of $150,000 under the guise of purchasing a residential property.
Amporful has been charged with defrauding by false pretence and has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Presided over by a Circuit Court Judge, the court granted the accused bail in the sum of GH¢100,000, with two sureties, one of whom must be justified. She has also been directed to report to the Police once every two weeks. The case has been adjourned to March 19, 2026, for a Case Management Conference.
Leading the prosecution, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Frimpong told the court that the complainant, Dorcas Koomson Ayittey, a nurse based in the United States, engaged Amporful in 2020 to help her acquire a four-bedroom house in Ghana.
According to the prosecution, Amporful initially informed Ayittey that she had secured a property in Cape Coast priced at $75,000 and requested payment. Ayittey subsequently transferred the amount, which Amporful acknowledged receiving.
ASP Frimpong said Amporful later introduced another property located at Spintex, purportedly offered by Western View Villa Estate, with a price tag of $150,000. She allegedly persuaded Ayittey to abandon the Cape Coast property, claiming it had been sold for $80,000, and requested an additional $70,000 to complete the Spintex transaction.
The complainant reportedly transferred the extra amount, bringing the total sum paid to $150,000. Amporful later claimed she had secured the Spintex property through Michael Kojo Opata, a Manager at Western View Villa Estate.
The court heard that in December 2024, Ayittey travelled to Ghana and asked Amporful to show her the property, provide proof of payment, and hand over the keys. However, Amporful allegedly refused and offered several excuses, raising suspicion and prompting Ayittey to lodge a complaint with the Police.
ASP Frimpong told the court that investigations revealed Amporful had not purchased any property on behalf of the complainant. Police checks with the caretaker of the alleged Cape Coast property, Peace Eyira Dokeh, confirmed that Amporful never bought the house.
Further investigations with the Manager and Director of Western View Villa Estate also established that no payment had been made by Amporful for the Spintex property.
The prosecution added that the accused failed to produce any receipts or documentation to show that she had entered into negotiations or made payments toward the purchase of any property after receiving the funds.
The case continues.
