A shipping agent is before the Accra Circuit Court Nine for allegedly forging Food and Drugs Authority’s Bill of payment receipt to defraud a trader of GHC80,000.00. He did so under the pretext of clearing his three forty-footer containers from the Tema Harbour. Richard Nana Amoako, 43, the shipping agent or freight forwarder, pleaded not guilty to forgery, altering and possessing Food and Drugs Authority’s Bill of payment receipt to evade the requirement of the law. Amoako, was therefore granted a GHC100,000.00 bail with three sureties. In addition, the Court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah, ordered Amoako to report to the Police every Wednesday at 1000 hours. He should again deposit his Ghana card with the Court’s Registry. The Court asked the Prosecution to file witness statements, among other necessary documents and make them available to Amoako, the accused person, to assist him in his defense. Police Chief Inspector Daniel Danku, briefing the Court, said Mr Rexy Lovell Mensah, the Complainant, was a trader and resident of Sunyani-Abesim whereas Amoako, the accused, resided at Tema Community ‘22’. He said in March 2023, the Complainant engaged the accused person who is the Chief Executive Officer of Freight Masters Shipping Agency Limited, to clear his three (3) forty-footer containers which contained hospital mattresses and beds, shipped to him by a Non-Governmental Organisation in Germany to be distributed to hospitals in and around Sunyani. Chief Inspector Danku said because the goods had gone on demurrage, Amoako promised Mr Mensah that he would use his connections to clear the containers from the harbour within two weeks and he charged him GH¢40,000.00 per container. The accused person asked the complainant to pay for two containers so he would clear them within two weeks after the money had been paid. The Court heard that during March 2023, Mr Mensah paid GH¢80,000.00 into Amoako’s bank account which the accused acknowledged and promised to clear the first two containers within two weeks but he failed to honour his part of the agreement. The Prosecution said on August 07, 2023, the complainant reported the matter to the Police and the accused was invited. He reported on August 20, 2023, with his counsel and during investigation, he promised to clear one of the containers for the complainant. On September 04, 2023, Amoako cleared one of the containers for Mr Mensah, the complainant and promised to clear the other two containers within two weeks but all efforts made by Police and complainant proved futile, the Prosecution said. Chief Inspector Danku said Amoako sent a new bill to tell the complainant that, the GH¢80,000.00 was a part payment of the first container he cleared for him so he had to top up with GH¢23,199.55 for the first container which cost him GH¢103,199.55 and he provided some receipts to prove his point. When complainant saw the receipts, he informed Police that, the receipts were fake, thus Police wrote letters to Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Standard Board Authority and Food and Drugs Authority to ascertain the authenticity of the receipts, Police told the Court. The Prosecution said Food and Drugs Authority replied that, the receipts were not genuine and that, the Authority did not generate the said receipts. The accused was called several times to report but he failed, as such “Criminal Summons was served on him to appear before the Court.” Chief Inspector Danku said. GNA
