The Assin Fosu District Court has convicted three young men for defrauding a 26-year-old trader of GH¢38,450 through a fraudulent electronic money transaction.
The convicts are 24-year-old footballers Francis Appiah and Emmanuel Oteng, alias Flow Delli, and 21-year-old Emmanuel Antwi.
All three are residents of Assin Breku.
Presided over by His Worship Abdul Majid Iliasu, the court ordered the convicts to refund the full amount taken from the complainant, Shalean Stella Bamfo.
According to the prosecution, the incident happened on July 21, 2026, when Appiah allegedly contacted Ms Bamfo and falsely told her that he had mistakenly transferred money to her.
He reportedly kept her engaged in a lengthy conversation before directing her to a nearby mobile money merchant.
There, she was deceived into transferring GH¢38,450 through e-cash to three MTN numbers registered in the names of Saar Hassana, Rebecca Bosiako Antwi and Sarah Gyeti Arthur.
The prosecution told the court that Appiah later transferred GH¢6,290 to Antwi as his share of the money.
Ms Bamfo later realised that she had been deceived and reported the matter to the Central North Regional Police Cybercrime Unit.
Following investigations involving telecommunications companies, police intelligence and a court order, the three suspects were arrested at a hideout in Assin Breku.
The court was also told that one of the accused admitted to the offence in a caution statement.
After their conviction, the three men refunded the entire GH¢38,450 to the complainant.
In his ruling, His Worship Abdul Majid Iliasu considered the fact that the convicts were first-time offenders but warned them against returning to criminal activities.
The judge cautioned that they could face imprisonment if they were arrested again for engaging in criminal conduct. He urged them to abandon fraudulent activities and seek legitimate means of earning a living.
The court also commended the Central North Regional Police Cybercrime Unit for its efforts in investigating and combating cyber-related crimes in the region.
