A 51-year-old man, Ernest Agyeman Prempeh, has been arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding a footballer of GHC395,250 under the guise of securing him a football contract in France.
Prempeh, who is unemployed and resides at Tema Community 22, pleaded not guilty to the charge of defrauding by false pretence, GNA reports.
Presiding judge, Lawrencia Awurabena Darkowaa, remanded the accused into police custody and ordered him to reappear on June 23, 2025.
According to Chief Inspector Teye Okuffo, the prosecutor, the complainant, Richard Adomako, is a footballer based in Koforidua.
In 2023, Prempeh allegedly posed as a football agent with influential connections at the Ghana Football Association. He reportedly convinced Adomako that he could help him secure a football contract with a club in France, for a fee.
Trusting the accused, the footballer paid a total of GHC395,250 and handed over his Ghanaian passport to facilitate the process.
However, after receiving the money and the passport, Prempeh failed to deliver on his promise. Multiple efforts by Adomako to recover either his money or passport were unsuccessful.
A formal complaint was lodged with the police, leading to Prempeh’s arrest.
During police interrogation, the accused allegedly admitted to the offence and requested time to refund the money and return the passport, but he failed to honour his promise.
Further investigations revealed that Prempeh was neither a licensed football agent nor had any connections with officials at the GFA. Instead, the funds he collected were used for personal purposes.
He was subsequently granted police enquiry bail and instructed to report for further directives but failed to comply. He also ignored several calls from the prosecution.
His surety was then contacted and asked to ensure Prempeh’s appearance in court on May 7, 2025. The surety, however, informed authorities that Prempeh had vacated his residence and cut off all communication.
When the case was called on May 7, Prempeh was absent, though his surety was present. A bench warrant was issued for his arrest, and the case was adjourned to June 3, 2025.
On June 12, 2025, law enforcement tracked Prempeh to a hideout in Osu and arrested him.
