The Amasaman Circuit Court has granted bail to a 53-year-old house help at the centre of a land fraud scandal that has once again highlighted the growing threat of real estate scams in Ghana’s urban centres.
Faustina Boatemaa, the accused, was granted bail in the sum of GHC100,000.00 with two sureties after she was charged with conspiracy to defraud a businessman of GHC80,000.00 under false pretences. The alleged accomplice, Patrick Darko, is currently at large.
The case, presided over by High Court Judge Enid Sarful-Sau sitting with additional responsibilities at the Circuit Court, has sparked public interest as incidents of land fraud continue to rise in and around Accra.
According to court documents and police testimony, the alleged scheme unfolded in September 2023 when Boatemaa approached Lydia Tweneboah, the complainant’s sister, claiming her brother in South Africa had 0.12 acres of land and an uncompleted church building at Satellite available for sale.
Lydia, acting as an intermediary, introduced Boatemaa to the complainant, Mr. Samuel Tweneboah, who was led to the site and negotiated to purchase the land for GHC80,000.00. The complainant reportedly paid the amount in three instalments, using bank account details provided by the fugitive accomplice, Darko.
But the dream of acquiring land quickly turned into a legal nightmare. After depositing building materials on the site, Mr. Tweneboah was confronted with a stark warning: the property had a competing claim. A bold inscription—“Property of Marbel family. Stay off.”—was found on the structure, and shortly after, a voice message from Darko warned him to vacate the land.
Subsequent efforts to contact Boatemaa and Darko failed. The land indenture Boatemaa issued turned out to be fraudulent, triggering a formal complaint to the Adjen Kotoku Police, who arrested Boatemaa after preliminary investigations confirmed her involvement in the transaction.
Boatemaa admitted to receiving GHC40,000.00 and showing the land to the complainant but denied conspiring to defraud him. The court has adjourned the case to August 7, 2025, with police seeking a court order to compel banks involved in the transaction to disclose the identities of the account holders to advance investigations.
As law enforcement works to track down the second suspect and unravel the full scope of the fraud, legal analysts say the case is a reminder of the urgent need for stronger systems to regulate land transactions and protect prospective buyers.
“This case is not just about one suspect,” said a legal observer. “It is symptomatic of a larger, more dangerous trend where unsuspecting individuals are lured into fraudulent deals. The judiciary must send a strong message.”
Meanwhile, community leaders and legal experts are urging prospective land buyers to verify ownership documents through appropriate legal channels and land commissions before making payments, no matter how convincing a deal may seem.
The case continues.
