The Ashaiman District Court has remanded Romeo Atsu, a self-described house agent and broker, into police custody on charges of defrauding by false pretence. Atsu is accused of deceiving a man into paying Gh₵9,000.00 for a non-existent rental agreement. The court has scheduled his reappearance for April 29, 2024, following his plea of not guilty.
The prosecutor, Inspector Henry Tetteh Nartey, presented the case before Mr. Derick Pardden Eshun, detailing that the complainant, 24-year-old Nigerian Mr. Clinton Peter, was fraudulently led to believe in the availability of rental apartments in Gbetsile, within the Kpone-Katamanso Municipality. According to Nartey, on March 5, 2024, Peter, in search of accommodation, contacted Atsu who claimed to have suitable properties for rent.
Atsu, reportedly operating his brokerage online, directed Eric Adzorgenu, a witness in the case, to show Peter the location. Peter expressed interest in a four-bedroom apartment renting for Gh₵1,500.00 per month and subsequently transferred Gh₵9,000.00 covering six months' rent to a mobile number purportedly belonging to the landlord.
The situation escalated when a caretaker at the property confronted Peter, leading to the discovery that the landlord had no knowledge of the transaction. Attempts to contact Atsu thereafter were futile as his phone was repeatedly found to be switched off.
The break in the case came on March 17, 2024, when Atsu was apprehended by police in the Western Region town of Diaso and was re-arrested and transported back to Gbetsile for further investigation. The police have charged him with defrauding by false pretence as investigations continue.