- Bismark Obeng, a trader from Pokuase-Amanfrom, jailed 10 years for auto fraud.
- Defrauded Mawulolo Ametame, a draughtsman from North Legon, of GH₵198,000 in fake Honda CR-V deal.
- Obeng conspired with two accomplices, Gideon Wiafe and Owusu, who remain at large.
- He was ordered to pay GH₵70,000 restitution to the victim.
- Arrested in January 2023 while attempting a similar scam with the same vehicle.
- Court found him guilty after full trial; sentences to run concurrently.
An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced Bismark Obeng, a trader from Pokuase-Amanfrom, to 10 years in prison after he was found guilty of defrauding a buyer in a fraudulent car deal involving nearly GH₵200,000.
The court determined that Obeng, working alongside two accomplices still on the run, tricked Mawulolo Ametame, a draughtsman from North Legon, into paying GH₵198,000 under the pretense of selling him an unregistered 2020 Honda CR-V.
The incident began in November 2022, when Ametame saw the vehicle listed for sale on an online platform. Obeng responded to his inquiries and arranged to meet him at the Madina branch of Cal Bank. During the meeting, he failed to produce valid documents but convinced the buyer to proceed, leading to the eventual handover of the full payment.
Instead of delivering the car, Obeng and his accomplice Gideon Wiafe disappeared with the money. Investigations later revealed that Obeng pocketed GH₵20,000 as his share of the scam.
Police arrested him in January 2023 at Amansaman-Fise, after he attempted to carry out the same scheme with the same vehicle on another potential victim. He was later identified by the complainant during an official parade at the CID headquarters.
Following the trial, the court convicted him on two counts of conspiracy and defrauding by false pretenses. He received a 10-year sentence on each count, to run concurrently, and was also ordered to pay GH₵70,000 restitution to the victim.
The case remains open as police continue their search for the other suspects, Wiafe and Owusu.
