An Accra circuit court has granted bail to Mr. Elvis Owusu-Ansah, a businessman, in the amount of GH₵400,000.00 with four sureties, after he was accused of defrauding Modex Oil company of GH₵320,681.60. Owusu-Ansah, along with his accomplice, Madam Nancy Sawyer, pleaded not guilty to the charges of defrauding by false pretense, fraudulent breach of trust, and forgery of official documents.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Emmanuel Nyamekye, the complainant, Mr. Kwabena Appiah, is the CEO of Modex Oil. Owusu-Ansah and Sawyer served as the Managing Director and Secretary of Oaksel Essentials Limited, respectively. In September 2021, Sawyer introduced Owusu-Ansah to Appiah, representing him as a sole proprietor in need of capital infusion into his firm, Syyno SAT Technologies.
The accused allegedly convinced Appiah to finance several supply contracts awarded to Owusu-Ansah by the University of Cape Coast. Appiah, after conducting due diligence at the University, confirmed the genuineness of the contracts and subsequently formed a new company, Oaksel Essential Limited, to execute the contracts.
Between September 2021 and November 2021, Owusu-Ansah presented five separate genuine contracts to Appiah for the supply of various items, which Appiah paid for from his company’s bank account. The university honored all five contracts between December 2021 and April 2022.
However, between November 2021 and April 2022, Owusu-Ansah allegedly collected GH₵ 320,618.80 from Appiah based on forged contracts supposedly signed by the Vice Chancellor of the University. These contracts included supplies of various items such as respirators, flat sheets, laptops, batteries, and more.
Investigations revealed that all the contract documents presented by Owusu-Ansah during this period were falsified, and he failed to account for the funds received. The University confirmed that the contracts were indeed forged.
The case has been adjourned to August 22, 2023, and the court has cautioned the accused to comply with the Party’s code of conduct or risk disqualification.
