The Kumasi High Court 1, presided over by Justice Anna Taylor, hearing the case of alleged against Yahaya Tamimu and four (4) others has adjourned the matter to 3-5 March, 2025.
This was after the prosecutor, Defective Chief In. Frank Osae told the court that the prosecution needed more time to make a case and advise the court on the matter.
The facts of the case are that the Complainant, Michael Opoku Gyebi, is a businessman and a Road Contractor, while the 1st Accused, Yahaya Tamimu is a businessman and operates under the business name Tamco Star Enterprise. The 2nd Accused, Abdul Majid Alhassan is also a businessman and the owner of Abdul Majid Ventures.
The 3rd Accused, Suleman Habib Osman @ Suleman Duada @ Mohammed is also a businessman who does business in Dubai. The 4th Accused, Hafeez Huseini Fuseini is at large and the 5th Accused, Yabila Umar Adams is also at large and operates under the business name Yabila Global Limited.
In January 2024, Michael Opoku Gyebi developed a business relationship with Suleman Habib Osman. In the course of the relationship, the 3rd Accused told the Complainant that with his business acumen he is able to get good exchange rates to purchase vehicles in Dubai where he ordinarily lives for some businessmen in Ghana. Thus, since the Complainant is a road contractor, he could buy heavy duty trucks from specified vehicle dealers for him from Dubai.
That based upon the above business discussion, the complainant expressed interest in buying Eighty-Seven (87) Sinotruck HOWO TX 6×4 tipper trucks from Sinotruck International, a Chinese company in Dubai through the 3rd Accused person. The 3rd Accused told the Complainant to pay an amount of Four Million Five Hundred US dollars ($ 4,500,000.00) to enable him purchase the trucks on his behalf. In addition, the 3rd Accused told the Complainant that as and when he is ready to make payments, he would direct him as to where and how to pay the money.
On the 1st of March 2024 based upon the instructions of the 3rd Accused, the Complainant made a transfer of an amount GHc 5,000.000.00 (Five million Ghana Cedis) from his Zenith Bank (Ghana) Limited account to Stanbic Bank Ghana Ltd account number 9040006913657 with account name Tamco Star Enterprise belonging to the 1st Accused as part payment for the purchase of the trucks. That subsequently the Complainant made an additional GHc 7,000.000.00 (Seven million Ghana Cedis) into the the Tamco Star Enterprise account making the total sum of money transferred into the 1st Accused’s account Twelve million Ghana Cedis (GH¢ 12,000,000) which is equivalent to One million, Eight Hundred Thousand, Four Hundred and Three dollars, 36 cents ($ 1,800,403.36).
In addition, the Complainant from 1st March 2024 to 29th August 2024 upon the instructions of the 3rd Accused paid a total sum of GHC 35, 000.000.00 (Thirty-five million Ghana Cedis ) which is equivalent to Two Million, Six Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Six Hundred and Seventy-Two dollars, twenty-seven cents ($ 2,680,672.27) into a Stanbic Bank Ghana Ltd account number 9040005242422 with account name Abdul Majid Ventures and a Momo Account with number 0246270126 all belonging to the 2nd Accused.
Also, the 3rd Accused instructed the Complainant to deposit a total sum of Nine million, Six Hundred and Fifty thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢ 9,650,000.00) which is equivalent to Eight Hundred and Ten Thousand dollars ($810,000.00) into a Stanbic Bank Ghana Ltd account number 9040011002700 with account name Yabila Global Limited which account belongs to the 5th accused person.
That after the payment of each money, the 3rd Accused Suleman Habib Usman @ Suleman Dauda @ Mohammed would acknowledge receipt of the said monies upon confirmation by the 1st, 2nd and 5th accused persons that the money had been paid into the accounts.
After the payment of the total amount of Four Million Five Hundred US dollars ($ 4,500,000.00), it became difficult for the Complainant to get in touch with the 3rd Accused. However, upon several failed attempts, the 3rd accused person contacted the Complainant and explained that he had delayed in the purchase of the trucks due to some difficulties he encountered in transferring the money.
The Complainant who was suspicious of the story of the 3rd Accused therefore contacted Sinotruck International in Dubai and got to know that even though an order had been made for the purchase of the trucks no money had been paid to the Company. Upon receipt of this information the complainant called the 3rd accused person on his mobile phone but same was not going through. He also visited his place of work and known address but could not trace the 3rd accused person.
On 16th November, 2024, the complainant reported the matter to the Regional CID, Kumasi to assist in investigations. As part of investigations, the three accounts belonging to 1st, 2nd and 5th accused persons were frozen with the aid of the EOCO on 18th November. 2024. That as at the time the accounts were frozen the following amounts had been concealed in the account; 1st Accused person’s account had a balance Ghc 1,002,350.01 (One Million, Two Thousand Three Hundred and Fifty Ghana Cedis, One Pesewas), 2nd Accused person’s account also had a balance Ghc 410.00 (Four Hundred and Ten Ghana Cedis) while the 5th Accused person’s account had a balance Ghc105.39 (One Hundred and Five Ghana Cedis, Thirty-Nine Pesewas).
In the course of investigations, inquiries made at Stanbic Bank Ghana Ltd and the Office of the Registrar of Companies led to the arrest of the 1st accused Yahaya Tamimu, on 26th November 2024, at Accra. In his investigation cautioned statement he admitted having received an amount of Twelve million Ghana Cedis (GH¢ 12,000,000) which is equivalent to One million, Eight Hundred Thousand, Four hundred and three dollars, 36 cents ($ 1,800,403.36) into his Tamco Star Enterprise business account with Stanbic Bank Ghana Ltd on the 1st and 5th March, 2024. He added that the amount was deposited in his account in favour of the 4th Accused, Hafeez Huseini Fuseini and thus he had transferred same to the 4th Accused. He however failed to lead to police to arrest the 4th Accused.
Also, on 27th November 2024, investigations led to the arrest of the 2nd accused person at his hide out at Togo and, in his investigation, cautioned statement admitted having received a total sum of Thirty-five million (GH¢35,000,000) which is equivalent to Two Million, Six Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Six Hundred and Seventy-Two dollars, twenty-seven cents ($2,680,672.27) in his Abdul Majid Ventures business account with Stanbic Bank Ghana Ltd. The 2nd accused also added that he withdrew the money from his bank and Momo accounts and gave same to a person whom Sulemana Habib Usman @ Sulemana Dauda @ Mohammed, the 3rd Accused sent to collect the money.
That after the arrest of the 1st and 3rd Accused persons, Bank statements for the above-mentioned accounts were obtained. However, the total amount of withdrawals made soon after the monies were deposited in the accounts did not support the assertions of the 1st and 2nd Accused persons that they withdrew the monies and gave same to 4th Accused and the unknown person sent by the 3rd Accused respectively.
Rather, investigations revealed that the 1st accused, 2nd accused and 5th accused who is at large are accomplices of the 3rd accused who used their business accounts as instruments to aid the 3rd Accused to defraud the complainant.
That their dealings with the monies which were deposited in the above accounts clearing show that all the accused persons played different roles to ensure that the complainant parted with Four Million Five Hundred US dollars ($ 4,500,000.00).
That also the Stanbic bank statement in the name of Abdul Majid Ventures showed that the 1st Accused through his Tamco Star Enterprise business account on the 31st of July 2024 transferred an amount of Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis into the 2nd Accused’s Abdul Majid Ventures business account. Even though both 1st and 2nd Accused persons had denied knowing each other in their respective caution statements to the police.
