Assin Fosu Court Sentences Mobile Money Fraudster To 18 Months Over GH¢37,000.
The Assin Fosu District Court has sentenced a mobile money fraudster to 18 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to defrauding a mobile money merchant of GH¢37,000.
The accused, Prince Mensah, a resident of Assin Andoe in the Central Region, was arrested by the Cybercrime Unit of the Central North Regional Police Command and subsequently arraigned before the court.
The case was presided over by His Worship Abdul Majid Iliasu, while Chief Inspector Gilbert Abagna Anyongo represented the prosecution.
According to the brief facts presented to the court by the prosecution, the complainant, Agnes Fofie, a mobile money merchant residing at Adansi Odumase, was at her shop on August 18, 2026, when a young woman approached her to conduct a withdrawal transaction.
The woman handed her phone to the complainant to speak with the accused, who allegedly engaged her in a lengthy conversation and took her through a series of processes.
The process eventually resulted in the transfer of GH¢37,000 in electronic cash to a merchant account.
The complainant later realised that she had been defrauded and contacted MTN for assistance. She was informed that the money had already been withdrawn.
She subsequently reported the matter to the Cybercrime Unit of the Central North Regional Police Command in Assin Fosu.
The prosecution told the court that, following a court order and information obtained from telecommunications companies, police intelligence traced the transaction and led investigators to the accused’s hideout at Assin Andoe.
Prince Mensah was subsequently arrested.
Police say the accused admitted the offence in his caution statement, while the GH¢37,000 was retrieved from him during investigations.
The prosecution informed the court that the money had been recovered from the accused.
In his ruling, His Worship Abdul Majid Iliasu noted that the accused was a first-time offender and had been forthcoming with the truth.
The court also took into consideration his plea of guilty.
The court subsequently sentenced Prince Mensah to a fine of 7,500 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢9,000, or in default, to serve 18 months in prison.
The judge cautioned the accused, noting that electronic transaction fraud had become increasingly rampant in the area.
He said the punishment was intended to serve as a deterrent to others who may engage in similar criminal activities. Meanwhile, the accused paid the fine and was subsequently acquitted and discharged by the court.
The case forms part of efforts by the Cybercrime Unit of the Central North Regional Police Command to clamp down on mobile money and other forms of electronic transaction fraud in the region.
Story by; Kwame Owusu Asante Shadrack, Rich FM Assin Fosu.
