Court fines self-styled journalist GHC1,200 in Sefwi-Wiawso

A 41-year-old self-styled journalist who was standing trial before the Sefwi-Wiawso Magistrate Court has been fined GH￠1,200.00 or in default serve six months imprisonment in hard labour.

Pious Griffiths Koranteng pleaded guilty to defrauding by false pretences, forgery of documents and impersonation.

He was, however, convicted on his own plea by the court, presided over by Mr Lawrence Buoino Boi.

The court discharged Koranteng on the charge of fraud after his family brought an amount of GH￠900.00 to the court to be given to the complainant in the case.

Chief Inspector George Asante, Prosecuting told the court that the complainant Rebecca Aboagye, an ice water seller, resided together with the convict at Sefwi-Asawinso in the Wiawso Municipality.

He said on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, the complainant lodged a complaint at the Sefwi-Asawinso District Police Command that Koranteng had defrauded her of an amount of GH￠900. 00.

The prosecution said during the month of January this year, the complainant was going about her business along the road at Asawinso when the defendant approached her and requested her phone number, and she obliged.

Chief Inspector Asante said Koranteng later called the complainant and promised to marry her but she declined.

He said the accused kept on paying unannounced visits and at a point introduced himself as a journalist with the Ghana News Agency and Adom FM, an Accra based radio station.

Chief Inspector Asante said during one of such visits Koranteng claimed he needed to settle a debt of GH￠1,800.00 else he would be dismissed by his boss at Adom FM.

The complainant then agreed to assist the convict with a cash sum of GH￠900.00 and he pledged to refund the said amount at the end of the month, but he went into hiding and refused to answer the complainant’s phone calls.

The Prosecutor said on February 10, 2022, the police apprehended Koranteng and a GNA identification card bearing his name with staff identification number 0036, as an investigative journalist for the Western North Region was retrieved from him.

He said Koranteng in his investigation caution statement did not deny the crime and was subsequently put before the court