An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced Bright Dapaah, a 43-year-old trader to two years imprisonment for issuing three dud cheques.
This was after the court presided over by Mrs Patricia Amponsah had found Dapaah guilty on the three counts of issuing false cheques at the end of the trial.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector John Gohoho, said the complainant Emma Aggrey is a trader at Okaishie market who lived at Spintex- Baatsona, Accra.
Chief Inspector Gohoho said Dapaah also lived at Sapeiman, near Amasaman.
The prosecution said the complainant was an agent of IGNIS Industries Limited, producers of Rosa Tomatoes paste.
On July 2, 2020, Aggrey supplied 2,000 boxes of Rosa tin tomatoes valued at GHC 132,000 to Dapaah.
After the receipt of the goods, Dapaah issued three post-dated Stanbic bank Cheques with a face value of GHC44,000 to cover the payment of the goods.
The prosecution said on July 6, 2022, Aggrey presented the first cheque to the bank, but it was dishonoured for lack of funds.
Sensing danger, Aggrey went to the Dapaah and collected 845 boxes of the goods that he supplied to him.
The prosecution said Dapaah later paid an amount of GHC22,400 to Aggrey, leaving an outstanding balance of GHC53,830.
It said on August 14, 2020, the Aggrey presented the second and third cheques to the Tudu branch of the Stanbic Bank and the Republic House branch of the Ghana Commercial bank respectively, but both cheques were dishonoured.
The prosecution said Aggrey made several efforts to retrieve the money, but to no avail.
Aggrey thus reported the matter to the Police for investigations.
The prosecution said Dapaah, in his statement, admitted to the offence and pleaded to be given some time to refund the money, but also failed to honour the undertaking.
