Authorities in Ghana have charged two individuals with defrauding an American of $1,205,000 after they lied about delivering the victim with seven 20-footer containers of US money.
According to Citinewsroom.com, the defendants, Dzam Abotsi and Nana Kwame Yanka, each pleaded not guilty to accusations of conspiracy to commit fraud and defrauding under false pretenses during a hearing in Accra’s circuit court.
Prosecutors said Gary Bernsten, an American national, and his colleagues in Brazil were informed of a stash of US dollars stashed in around 20 containers in Ghana. Bernsten, an Asset Recovery Officer, eventually traveled to the West African country to reclaim the money after he and his partners investigated the information, according to the prosecution.
The prosecutor told the court that Bernsten and Abotsi met after the American citizen arrived in Ghana, and that the victim was led to a warehouse where he viewed the dollars stashed in around seven containers. A forensic check also revealed that the money in the containers was not counterfeit.
Abotsi then took another $200,000 from the victim for rent and security of the containers, according to prosecutors, according to Citinewsroom.com. Bernsten is claimed to have paid Abotsi with bitcoin and wire transfers.
Prosecutors further claimed Abotsi directed Bernsten to arrange for the containers to be relocated to a warehouse in Tema, which the victim accomplished. Bernsten went to the warehouse where the containers were housed a few days later so that he could move them to Tema Harbour. However, prosecutors claimed that the canisters had been relocated.
Abotsi and Yanka were eventually detained after a police report was filed. Alhaji Tanko, another accomplice, is presently on the run.
The court has adjourned the case to November 23.