Couple Arrested For Defrauding 37 People

A Couple at Atico, a suburb of Accra are in the grips of the law for allegedly defrauding 37 people under the pretext of offering them accommodation. They are said to have 26 fraud cases involving GH¢16,653.00 pending at the Odorkor Police station and 11 cases at the Kaneshie Divisional Command involving GH¢7,870.00. They are Alhaji Mohammed Bashiru, 48, dealer in cattle and home appliances and his wife, Barikisu Bashiru, who allegedly collected monies from their victims who were looking for accommodation but failed to provide them with the said facility. Briefing the Times in Accra on Monday, the Kaneshie Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Michael Avadetsi, said his outfit arrested the couple following several complaints lodged against them by individuals. He said the couple has an eight chamber and hall apartment and their modus operandi was to engage the services of agents to get them people in need of accommodation who became victims of their nefarious activities. The commander said the suspects collected monies from the victims with the explanation that they would use the monies for renovations but failed to give them the rooms. He said the suspects upon police interrogation accepted the offence and made refunds to some of the victims. C/Supt Avadetsi said the couple had since been put before an Accra Circuit Court and granted police enquiry bail with four sureties to re-appear on February 7, 2011.