Trader in court over 500-gallon cooking oil fraud

A trader has appeared in an Accra Circuit Court. He is accused of collecting GH¢242,500 for 500 gallons of cooking oil but not delivering it.

Samuel Owusu Amoako, 36, faces charges of defrauding by false pretences. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court, led by Mr. Samuel Bright Acquah, granted him bail. The bail amount is GH₵150,000 with three sureties.

The prosecution stated that Amoako received GH₵50,000 from the complainant. The case has been adjourned to June 2, 2025.

The complainant is Cornelius Kusi Amoako. He is self-employed and lives in Baatsona. The accused is unemployed and resides in Teiman.

On June 14, 2024, Amoako allegedly demanded and received GH¢242,500. This was through his Fidelity Bank account under J.S.B Logistics Limited at the Madina branch.

He claimed he would supply the complainant with 500 gallons of cooking oil. Each gallon was priced at GH₵485 and was to be delivered to Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Bono Region.

After receiving the money, Amoako failed to deliver the oil and went into hiding. The complainant could not locate him despite his efforts.

In June 2024, Amoako told the complainant to collect the oil from someone named Ali in Dormaa-Ahenkro. However, when the complainant arrived there, no consignment was available.

The complainant reported this matter to Baatsona Police on March 27, 2025.

On April 20, 2025, he learned that Amoako had been arrested in Sampa for a similar offence.

With police help, they arrested Amoako and brought him back to Accra for investigations.

During questioning, he admitted his wrongdoing in front of an independent witness.