A 50-year-old unemployed woman, Benedicta Kwakye, also known as Esi Mary, has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour by the Tarkwa District Court Two for defrauding seven people.
Benedicta pleaded guilty to seven counts of defrauding by false pretence. The court, presided over by Isaac Osei Asare, sentenced her to two years on each count, with the terms to run concurrently.
According to Police Sergeant Adwoa Yeboah, prosecuting, one of the complainants, Rebecca Kwofie, a trader residing in Cyanide, Tarkwa, was looking for a room to rent in April 2025 and informed her neighbours of her plans.
On April 18, 2025, Benedicta contacted Kwofie, claiming she had a room for rent at GH¢70 per month. The complainant expressed interest, and Benedicta showed her a room in her house. Kwofie agreed to rent it for three years and paid GH¢2,500 in advance.
The prosecutor said Benedicta later told Kwofie she needed three weeks to prepare the room but failed to hand over the keys as promised. When Kwofie visited the house to follow up, the landlord informed her that the room was already occupied. Attempts to recover her money from Benedicta proved unsuccessful.
On July 8, 2025, Kwofie learned Benedicta was in custody at the Tarkwa Central Police Station for a similar offence. She identified her and lodged a formal complaint. Further investigations revealed that Benedicta had defrauded six other people using the same scheme.
Benedicta allegedly claimed she had invested the money in trading but lost it while in Accra purchasing goods to resell.
Source: GNA
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