The Circuit Court in Accra has refused a repeat bail application moved by lawyers of embattled former Ghana International footballer, Prince Tagoe who had been remanded into lawful custody despite paying GHc70K to the court.
The former Black Stars and Hearts of Oak striker who was charged for defrauding by false pretense of former footballer George Antwi Boateng to the sum of $40, 000 equivalent to GHcGHc265, 200, had pleaded not guilty.
On Wednesday, December 21, the court presided over by His Honour Mr Samuel Bright Acquah turned down an application for bail after the prosecution had opposed same.
In court today, Friday, December 23, two days after his first appearance, Prince Tagoe, his new lawyers led by Lawyer Kwesi Kwarkye paid an amount of GHc70k to the court as part payment of the said money.
But, the latest bail was refused with the court sticking to the January 4, adjourned date which was settled on in his first appearance two days ago.
EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah reports that Prince Tagoe, popularly known as Prince of Goals was not present in today’s court proceedings while the substantive Prosecutor Chief Inspector Agartha Abena Asantewaa was not served with today’s application and was absent.
But, her brief was held by another Prosecutor whom the said money was given to.
*Brief facts*
On December 21, the Prosecutor, Chief Inspt. Agartha Asantewaa told the court that the complainant is George Antwi Boateng, an Ex-Ghanaian footballer based in Germany.
Whilst the accused person Prince Tagoe is also an Ex-Ghanaian footballer who also once lived in Germany.
According to the prosecutor, the accused person was once a player under the management of the complainant in Germany and in the year 2020, both parties met in Ghana and in the course of their conversations the complainant told the accused person that he needed a 4X4 Lexus vehicle to buy.
Chief Inspt. Asantewaa said, the accused person immediately agreed to import the vehicle for the complainant at a cost of $40.000.00 USD equivalent to (GHc265, 200).
She said on January 8, 2021, $40,000 USD was paid into the accused person’s First Atlantic Bank Account No. 0016531332032 which accused person acknowledged receipt through a phone call to the complainant that the money had hit his account.
The prosecutor said, the accused person then promised to deliver the vehicle to the complainant on March 30, 2021 but the date elapsed yet the accused person failed to fulfil his part of the obligation.
She said the accused person then called the complainant and pleaded for an additional two weeks to produce the vehicle and the complainant obliged him.
She told the court that the two weeks expired but still, the accused person was not able to import the vehicle as promised.
According to him, on April 27, 2021, the complaint came down to Ghana to receive his vehicle but to no avail and when the complainant called to demand his vehicle, the accused person stated that he could not import the vehicle but rather used the money for his personal pressing issues.
Two weeks passed but the accused person failed to pay the same and after investigations, the accused person was charged with the offence and put before this court.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Murtala Inusah
