David Vondee, Twifo Atti Morkwa MP
The Member of Parliament for Twifo Atti Morkwa, David Vondee, has been put before an Accra High Court for allegedly defrauding a private company, REI Ghana Limited, of about $2.4 million.
The NDC MP allegedly succeeded in taking the said money from REI Ghana Limited under the pretence of selling a tract of land to the company.
It is alleged that between August 2015 and July 2016, when the NDC was still in power, the MP managed to sell the land located at Frafraha, in the Adentan Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, to REI Ghana Limited.
It was, however, found later that he did not own the land.
Charges
The office of the Attorney-General has, therefore, charged Mr Vondee with two counts of defrauding by false pretence, contrary to Section 131 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, (Act 29), and money laundering, contrary to Section 1(2) (c) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, Act 2020 (Act 1044).
The charge sheet states that David Vondee, between August 2015 and July 2016, took possession of the sum of $2,400,000, knowing it to be proceeds of crime.
According to the particulars of the offence, signed by Senior State Attorney Vivian K. Osei Tutu, on behalf of the Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, “David Vondee, between August 2015 and July 2016 in Accra, with intent to defraud, obtained the consent of personnel of Africa REI Ltd to part with the sum of two million, four hundred thousand US dollars ($2,400,000) by representing to them that your company owned twenty (20) acres of land located at Frafraha in the Adentan Municipality.”
It adds: “In August 2015, the complainant, Kojo Ansah Mensah, who is the Director of Africa REI Ghana Limited, on behalf of his company, entered into a purchase agreement with Klenam Construction Ltd, represented by the accused who is the CEO and owner of the company, for twenty (20) acres of land situated at Frafraha in the Adentan Municipality at a cost of two million, four hundred thousand US dollars ($2 400,000 00).”
“This was after the accused who represented Klenam Construction Ltd at all material times made representations to officials of Africa REI Ghana Ltd that his company owned the twenty (20) acres of land, free and clear of any encumbrances and that the company had title to sell the land to Africa REI Ghana Ltd…Based on these representations, African REI Ltd paid a total amount of two million, four hundred thousand US dollars ($2,400,000 00) to the accused between August 2015 and July 2016,” adds the particulars of offence.
But investigations later revealed that the representations were false and that Klenam Construction Ltd had no title to the said land.
Further details indicate that “on May 28, 2015, the accused, through his company Klenam Construction Ltd, sought to purchase about eighty acres of land from his grantors at a total cost of nine million, six hundred thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢9,600,000 00).”
“The terms of the agreement required the accused to make an initial payment of one million, six hundred thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢1,600,000 00) to the grantors and to subsequently pay an amount of one million Ghana Cedis (GH¢1,000,000 00) every three (3) months till the agreed purchase price was fully paid,” the document said.
It added that “other terms of the agreement provided that the accused’s company shall be entitled to only a portion of land commensurate to the amount of money they had paid at the time should the company fail to pay the full purchase price at the agreed period.”
According to AG’s department, “knowing that his company had not completed their financial obligations toward their grantors, and therefore had no title to any portion of the land, the accused proceeded to prepare an indenture covering about 20 acres of the land in favour of the complainant’s company.”
The charges also disclosed that the MP presented a land title certificate, with number GA 44978, to the officials of Africa REI Ghana Ltd as evidence of his company’s ownership of the said land, even though there had been no valid registration of the land.
“Sometime in 2016, after the complainants had lodged a complaint of fraud against the accused to the police, the accused attempted to settle the matter amicably by granting to the complainant ten 10 acres of land as payment of the money taken from the complainant’s company. An official search at the Land’s Commission, however, revealed the 10 acres of land did not belong to the accused or his company,” portions of the charge sheet reads.
Bail
During sitting yesterday, court granted the accused a bail to the sum of GHS2 million with two sureties, both to be justified.
That was after Edudzi Tamakloe, lead counsel for Mr Vondee, had pleaded with the court to grant him bail on the basis that the MP has so far cooperated with investigations and is willing to make available his passport to the court as well.
The court gave the prosecution two weeks to make available to the MP all documents they intend to use as evidence in the trial.
They are also expected to file witness statements to be used as well. Hearing was adjourned to June 30 for a case management conference.
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