15 accused of defrauding Koforidua residents freed

They are Abubakar Abdulai, Emmanuel Konlam, Charles Hondolu, Mohammed Warris, James Mivadesome, Benjamin Anglo, and Samuel Atima

The rest are Clement Delma, Ernest Segbedzi, Rodney Edwin Kuetsidzo, Selorm Adjetey, Simon Acher, Jacob Anane, Simon Dagadu, and Mawuli Ahiagbenyor.

They were remanded in police custody in October, last year, for defrauding by false pretense in violation of Section 131 of the Criminal Offences Act (Act 29) of 1960.

But the court, presided over by Marian Offoh, in a ruling on April 28, discharged all the accused for want of prosecution.

The ruling follows a submission by the prosecutors, led by a State Attorney, Nana Gyankoma Djaba Mensah, that no case had been established against the accused after thorough investigations.

“I have received instructions from the police in this matter and we have also received all the necessary registration documents covering the QNET Marketing Company.

“Again, we have interviewed all the 314 witnesses who invested their various sums of money in this business.”

“Putting all this together, the state has made a collective decision that we do not intend to proceed with the prosecution on these charges. We humbly pray to withdraw the charges presented against the accused persons,” she told the court

At least 400 persons were interviewed, but no case was found against the accused persons.

Counsel for the accused, Derek Yeboah Gyamfi, in an interview, expressed satisfaction that justice had been served

He called on the public “to seek clarity on the activities undertaken by people instead of branding them as engaging in wrongful activities without a scintilla of proof.”