THE REPUBLIC vs. MATHIAS APPIAH BILL @ DELALI VETTEL @ ROBERT SCOTT ..... ACCUSED PERSON [2016]DLHC7654

THE REPUBLIC vs. MATHIAS APPIAH BILL @ DELALI VETTEL @ ROBERT SCOTT ..... ACCUSE... [2016]DLHC7654

Date	2016-03-18
Suit No.	SUIT NO. FTRM49/14
Citation No.	[2016]DLHC7654

HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE AFIA SERWAH ASARE-BOTWE (MRS.)

MR. CHARLES W. OFORI FOR THE REPUBLIC

MR. JOE DEBRAH FOR THE ACCUSED PERSON

[2016]DLHC7654
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>MATHIAS APPIAH BILL @ DELALI VETTEL @ ROBERT SCOTT ..... ACCUSED
PERSON<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT (FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC DIVISION 2), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

SUIT
NO. FTRM49/14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE:
18TH MARCH, 2016<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
CHARLES W. OFORI FOR THE REPUBLIC <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

MR.
JOE DEBRAH FOR THE ACCUSED PERSON <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

HER
LADYSHIP JUSTICE AFIA SERWAH ASARE-BOTWE (MRS.) <o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</div>The accused is charged with two counts namely; <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:14.6pt;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:none;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">a) Defrauding by false pretences contrary to section 131 of the
Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:none;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">b) Money Laundering contrary to section 1(1) of the Anti-Money
Laundering Act, 2008 (Act 794) <o:p></o:p>The facts of the case as was rendered to the
Court are that the complainant, Kathleen D. Minicz of 13831 Newgate Street,
Waverly, NE 68462, Nebraska, USA stated in an affidavit and certification
before the United States District Court that she is a 42-year old widow.
According to the prosecution, the complainant alleges that she was defrauded by
the accused herein. The prosecution says that investigations revealed that
between January and September 2010, the accused through electronic transaction
and prohibited cyber fraud received USD$120,000 from the complainant through
money wires, Western Union and transfers. The accused, it is alleged,
introduced himself as Robert Scott, 54 years, an American timber merchant
resident in Germany and Ghana. Having acquainted himself with the complainant,
the accused then introduced the name Delali Vettel to her as his cousin who
deals in computers and their accessories. <o:p></o:p>In January 2010, the accused, using the email
address bluerob@alive.com came into contact with the complainant whose email address was swanksonkd@yahoo.com on an internet
dating site known as datehookup.com. Consequently, he sent a picture of a white
male adult to depicting it as that of Robert Scott, and eventually proposed to
court her. The accused then, according to the Prosecution, convinced the
complainant that he wanted to register a company for her in Ghana and have a
partnership with her, and upon such false representation, he obtained the
consent of the complainant to send him (the accused) funds for such projects. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:22.3pt;margin-right:-.2pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes">On 22/9/2010, the accused opened a US dollar
account in the name of Delali Vettel at the Guarantee Trustee Bank, Abeka Lapaz
branch, Accra. On 5th January, 2011, the complainant sent USD$
49,000 into the said account. On 6th January, 2011, the accused
withdrew USD$20,000 and bought a Ford Escape four wheel drive vehicle with
registration number GW 405-11. Following a suspicious transaction report (STR),
the accused’s account was frozen pending investigations. It is the case of the
prosecution that investigations further revealed that the complainant had sent
various sums of US dollars to the accused through Western Union and other
international wires. On the 8th December, 2010, the complainant is
alleged to have sent USD$ 49,000 which said amount was credited to the
accused’s account numbered 101679-9/2/3/0 5th January, 2011. On 6th
January, 2011, the accused withdrew USD$38,000 for the purchase of the
vehicle already mentioned supra. The accused also operates a GHS account number
101679-9/1/59/0 at the Guarantee Trust Bank where he deposited GH₵55,138 and made a cash withdrawal
of GH₵20,000 the same day, leaving a balance of GH₵35,138. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:22.3pt;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:none;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">Both the cedi and US dollar accounts have been frozen on
reasonable suspicion of money laundering and defrauding by false pretences. <o:p></o:p>According to the prosecution, upon receipt of
the request from the US Department of Justice through the Attorney- General of
Ghana, it was disclosed that between March 2010 and October 2010, the
complainant sent a total of USD$31,267.99 through Western Union on nineteen
(19) diff</main>