Accra: A retired lecturer, Professor Samuel Sowah Boye, has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court alongside Nii Armah Sogblah IV, the Chief of Haatso, over allegations of a fraudulent land transaction involving a $90,000 deal.
According to Ghana News Agency, the case involves two other accomplices, identified as Nii Tetteh Kwao I and another individual known only as Elder, who are currently at large. The four are alleged to have conspired to sell a state-owned parcel of land located in Haatso to a businesswoman in 2009, despite not possessing legal title to the property.
Prof. Boye and Nii Sogblah IV have been jointly charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and a fraudulent transaction. Both individuals pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court, presided over by Mr. Isaac Addo, admitted Prof. Boye to bail in the sum of GHC1 million with one surety, while Nii Sogblah IV had previously been granted bail.
Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Frimpong informed the court that the complainant, Eugenia Abbey, a resident of Accra, was approached by Prof. Boye in 2009 with an offer to sell two parcels of land at Haatso. Abbey showed interest in acquiring the land and agreed on the $90,000 price for the lot. Although the money was paid to Prof. Boye, no documentation covering the land was issued to Abbey.
Abbey subsequently engaged a surveyor to prepare a site plan and conducted an official search at the Lands Commission. The search revealed that the land was not registered in Prof. Boye's name. The matter was reported to the police on August 14, 2023, leading to the arrest of Prof. Boye and Nii Sogblah IV.
ASP Frimpong stated that Prof. Boye admitted having collected the money, and investigations revealed that he acted with the three other accused individuals. Prof. Boye submitted a fictitious indenture dated August 18, 2015, made in Abbey's name, covering 0.33 acre of land at Haatso. Investigations revealed that the indenture was executed by Nii Sogblah IV and two of the other accused persons, who also served as witnesses.
It was also established that the land in question had been acquired under an Executive Instrument on July 3, 1973, for the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. The prosecution emphasized that the land is state-owned, and therefore the accused persons had no authority over it. ASP Frimpong stated, "The accused persons knew at all material times during the transaction that the land belongs to the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, yet they went ahead and collected money from the complainant and sold same to her."
