Two people have been put before the Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding one American and one Canadian of $715,000 under the pretext of helping the two acquire a consignment of goods valued at over US$12 million through an online scheme.
Solomon David King and Kingsley Okokon Etuk, both Nigerian nationals aged 48, have been charged with four counts of conspiracy to commit crime, defrauding by false pretences and money laundering.
They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court, presided over by Susana Eduful, admitted the accused persons to bail in a combined sum of GH¢2 million to be justified with two sureties each.
Meanwhile, the accused’s digital devices have been retrieved for forensic analysis as part of ongoing investigations.
The sureties are to provide title deeds in their names.
The case has been adjourned to November 3, 2025.
Prosecution’s facts
Narrating the facts of the case, the prosecution, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Emmanuel Nyamekye, stated that the two committed the alleged offence between 2020 and 2025.
The accused are said to have convinced the victims online that they could assist them in acquiring and shipping a consignment of goods valued at over US$12 million.
According to the prosecution, the victims, believing the representations to be accurate, made payments in tranches via money transfers and intermediaries in the USA and Togo.
The victims were eventually lured to Togo under the pretext of receiving the consignment, but ended up parting with additional funds and returned home empty-handed. It was later revealed that the consignment never existed.
The prosecutor told the court that the matter came to light after the victims narrated their experience to Victor Efiong, a fellow Nigerian resident in Accra, who then reported the incident to the police.
The prosecutor alleged that part of the defrauded funds were used to purchase personal assets. King is said to have bought a Hyundai Elantra, while Etuk allegedly acquired a Toyota Camry and a five-hectare farm plantation at Suhum, Eastern Region — all purportedly acquired from proceeds of the unlawful activity.
