A 62-year-old woman, Nana Ama Nwurueze, also known as Ohemaa, has been remanded in custody after being charged with defrauding a businesswoman of $13,000 under false pretenses.
Nwurueze, who allegedly portrayed herself as a wealthy entrepreneur with vast property holdings, including Ohemaa Plaza in East Legon, fishing vessels in Takoradi, and a house at the Airport, is accused of using these claims to deceive the complainant, Dorothy Asare, into parting with her money.
The accused appeared before the Adabraka District Court, presided over by Abena Asoh Owusu-Omenyo, where she pleaded not guilty to the charge of defrauding by false pretence. Despite her plea, the court denied her bail request, citing evidence that suggested she was a flight risk.
According to Chief Inspector Apewa Achana, the prosecution revealed that Nwurueze had been evading arrest since a bench warrant was issued in December of the previous year. She was eventually apprehended in March 2024 following a petition to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) by the complainant.
During the bail application, Nwurueze’s counsel, George Asamani, argued that his client had been unwell and had no intention of fleeing justice, assuring the court she would comply with all court proceedings. However, Chief Inspector Achana opposed the bail, citing Nwurueze’s history of evading arrest and going into hiding.
The prosecution’s case outlines that Nwurueze was introduced to Asare through a mutual friend. She allegedly convinced Asare that she was a successful businesswoman with multiple properties and over ten shipping containers of goods at the Takoradi port. Nwurueze then persuaded Asare to lend her $5,000, promising repayment after clearing the goods.
When Asare hesitated, Nwurueze reportedly claimed to be in partnership with Devtracco and showed Asare an ongoing apartment project, further building trust. Asare subsequently handed over $5,000 to the accused at her Airport residence.
A month later, Nwurueze requested an additional $8,000, claiming it was needed to resolve an issue at the port, again promising repayment within two weeks.
However, after several weeks of failed attempts to retrieve the money, Asare discovered that Nwurueze did not own the Airport property and had no dealings with Devtracco. Investigations also revealed that Nwurueze had no shipping containers at any port in Ghana.
The prosecution insisted that Nwurueze’s actions were deliberate and aimed at defrauding the complainant, successfully obtaining $13,000 through false representations.
The case has been adjourned, and Nwurueze remains in custody pending further proceedings.
