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Ernestina Koranteng, a 47-year-old teacher, has been arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court on charges of stealing $11,000 and defrauding a Ghanaian resident in the United States of $33,400 between 2020 and 2021.
The case, as reported by the Ghana News Agency, highlights allegations of financial misconduct and false pretences.
Koranteng is accused of collecting funds under the pretext of constructing a house at Ablekuma-Joma in Accra and establishing a pharmacy shop for the complainant.
However, she allegedly failed to fulfil these promises. Instead, she reportedly misled the complainant by presenting a rented property in Dansoman as the purchased house and falsely claimed to have built a structure that was later demolished.
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The accused faces two counts of stealing and two counts of defrauding by false pretences.
She pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Presided over by Mr. Isaac Addo, the court granted her bail set at one million Ghana cedis, with three sureties required to reside within the court’s jurisdiction.
Chief Inspector Daniel Ofori-Appiah, leading the prosecution, was directed to comply with disclosure rules.
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The case has been adjourned to April 9, 2025, for further proceedings.
Case background:
The complainant, a resident of the United States originally from Akim Asafo in the Eastern Region, entrusted Koranteng with two vehicles—a Chevrolet Sonic sedan valued at $5,500 and a VW Passat sedan valued at $6,000—in 2020.
Koranteng allegedly sold both vehicles and informed the complainant that the proceeds were used to develop a parcel of land acquired for her at Ablekuma-Joma.
The complainant subsequently sent an additional $18,400 for the land’s development.
In 2024, Koranteng allegedly convinced the complainant to send $15,000 to establish and operate a pharmacy.
However, upon the complainant’s return to Ghana in December 2024, Koranteng reportedly took her to a rented property in Dansoman, falsely claiming it had been purchased for her.
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When questioned about the pharmacy, Koranteng admitted that no such establishment existed.
Investigation findings:
Investigations revealed that the Dansoman property was rented for short stays and did not belong to the complainant.
Additionally, no pharmacy shop was established. Koranteng led police to a bare plot of land at Ablekuma-Joma, claiming it was the site where she had built and later demolished a house.
However, no evidence of such construction or demolition was found.
The complainant reported the matter to the police on January 22, 2025, leading to Koranteng’s arrest the following day.