Court Dismisses GH¢800k Fraud Case Against Former NPP Aspirant and Associate

A Circuit Court in Accra has dismissed the GH¢800,000 tax-related fraud case against former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary aspirant Collins Amoah and his co-accused, Solomon Okuley, following a withdrawal of charges by the prosecution.

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Emmanuel Teye-Okuffo, informed the court that businessman Anthony Kojo Ababio, the complainant in the case, had written to express his intention to discontinue the matter. He indicated that the dispute had been resolved amicably and that he no longer wished to pursue legal action.

Based on this submission, the court, presided over by Her Honour Susana Eduful, struck out the case as withdrawn.

This marked the first court appearance of Amoah since the case commenced on January 29, 2025. Okuley, though present, arrived late to the proceedings.

Case Background

The case initially gained public attention after the Circuit Court issued a bench warrant for Solomon Okuley’s arrest following his failure to appear in court. His defense team had cited health reasons, but the judge ruled that there was no medical excuse on the court record to support the claim. A previous warrant had also been issued for Amoah, who was reportedly on the run.

The allegations centered on claims that Okuley, a 51-year-old trader, and Amoah, a former NPP parliamentary aspirant for the Ablekuma Central constituency, defrauded businessman Anthony Kojo Ababio of GH¢800,000. The accused had allegedly convinced Ababio that they could use their political connections within the Akufo-Addo administration to clear his tax arrears at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Ababio, believing their assurances, handed over the money in the presence of witnesses. However, after receiving the funds, the accused reportedly failed to fulfill their promise and subsequently evaded the complainant.

Legal Proceedings

Following Okuley’s arrest, he pleaded not guilty to charges of defrauding by false pretenses, contrary to Section 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). He was granted bail set at GH¢1 million, with two sureties—one of whom had to be an immediate family member, with both earning at least GH¢5,000 per month. Additionally, he was required to deposit his passport at the court registry until the case was concluded.

Investigations revealed that Ababio had met the accused before June 2024 and was led to believe that Amoah could settle his GRA debts in exchange for the payment. However, after receiving the money, the accused failed to deliver on their promise.

On December 28, 2024, Ababio reported the matter to the police after realizing he had been deceived. Okuley was arrested the same day and, in a caution statement, admitted that he and Amoah had taken the money. He further disclosed that Amoah had received GH¢650,000 of the amount but failed to use it to clear the tax arrears, instead diverting it for personal political activities.

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