A 28-year-old lawyer, Magdalene Aba Amporful, is standing trial in Accra after allegedly taking $150,000 from a nurse living in the United States for houses that prosecutors say were never bought.
She has been charged with defrauding by false pretense. She pleaded not guilty when she appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
The court granted her bail of GH¢100,000 with two sureties, one of whom must justify the bail. She has also been ordered to report to the Police every two weeks. The case has been adjourned to March 19, 2026, for a Case Management Conference.
According to the prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Frimpong, the complainant, Dorcas Koomson Ayittey, contacted the lawyer in 2020 for help to buy a four-bedroom house in Ghana.
The court was told that Amporful informed Ayittey she had found a house in Cape Coast for $75,000 and asked her to send the money. Ayittey transferred the amount, and the lawyer confirmed receiving it.
Later, the court heard that Amporful told Ayittey about another house at Spintex, said to be owned by Western View Villa Estate, costing $150,000.
Prosecutors say Amporful convinced the nurse to give up the Cape Coast property, claiming it had been sold for $80,000. She then asked for an additional $70,000 to complete payment for the Spintex house.
Ayittey sent the extra money, bringing the total amount paid to $150,000.
ASP Frimpong told the court that Amporful later said she had secured the Spintex property from Michael Kojo Opata, Manager of Western View Villa Estate.
However, in December 2024, when Ayittey travelled to Ghana, she asked to see the house, collect the keys, and receive proof of payment.
The prosecutor said the lawyer failed to show her the property and gave several excuses. This led the nurse to report the matter to the Police.
Investigations, the court heard, showed that no property had been bought.
The Police confirmed with the caretaker of the Cape Coast house, Peace Eyira Dokeh, that Amporful had never purchased that property.
Further checks with the Manager and Director of Western View Villa Estate also showed that no payment had been made for the Spintex house.
The prosecution added that Amporful could not provide any receipts or documents to prove she had negotiated or paid for any property on behalf of the nurse after receiving the $150,000.