A 43-year-old agricultural engineer, Abraham Asudam, has been sentenced to 36 months in prison with hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court for defrauding a businessman under the false pretext of procuring a tipper truck.
The conviction stems from a case involving GHS150,000, which Asudam took from Mr. George Asudam in December 2020, claiming he could secure the vehicle through business partners based in Belgium. The accused provided what turned out to be fake documents, including a fabricated receipt and a fictitious company name—Power Vehicle Innovation—as well as a false truck chassis number, assuring the complainant that the vehicle would arrive within a month.
However, communication was later severed, and several attempts to trace Asudam failed until a police report led to his eventual arrest. Upon investigation, authorities confirmed that Asudam was not a licensed vehicle dealer and had fabricated all related documentation. Only GHS20,000 was recovered and retained as evidence.
Although Asudam initially pleaded not guilty, he was found guilty of defrauding by false pretences. The presiding judge, Mr. Isaac Addo, considered the fact that he was a first-time offender and had already spent time in custody during a sentencing delay aimed at allowing repayment of the remaining GHS30,000.
“However, notwithstanding several adjournments to enable the accused person to pay the money, he refused… The court would therefore pass a fairly deterrent sentence on the accused,” the judge stated during sentencing.
The court also ordered that Asudam refund the outstanding GHS30,000 to the complainant as part of restitution.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Frimpong, who emphasized the deceptive nature of the accused’s actions and the fabricated evidence presented to the victim.
This conviction highlights the risks of fraudulent vehicle transactions and the importance of dealing with licensed dealers in major purchases.
