A 47-year-old teacher, Ernestina Koranteng, has been arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding a Ghanaian resident in the United States of $33,400 and stealing an additional $11,000. The alleged offenses, committed between 2020 and 2021, involved false promises of real estate investment and business establishment in Accra.
Koranteng, who pleaded not guilty to two counts of stealing and two counts of defrauding by false pretenses, was granted bail in the sum of one million Ghana cedis with three sureties. Presiding Judge Mr. Isaac Addo instructed the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Daniel Ofori-Appiah, to comply with legal disclosure rules. The case has been adjourned to April 9, 2025.
According to the prosecution, the complainant, a Ghanaian from Akim Asafo in the Eastern Region but domiciled in the U.S., entrusted Koranteng, a resident of Dansoman, Accra, with two imported cars—a Chevrolet Sonic valued at $5,500 and a VW Passat worth $6,000. Koranteng allegedly sold both vehicles, claiming she would use the proceeds to develop land she purportedly acquired for the complainant at Ablekuma-Joma. Additionally, the complainant sent her $18,400 for the supposed land development.
The prosecution further stated that in 2024, Koranteng convinced the complainant to send another $15,000 to establish a pharmacy business in Ghana. However, upon returning to Ghana in December 2024, the complainant found no evidence of either the property or the pharmacy. Instead, Koranteng took her to a house in Dansoman, claiming it was the property she had purchased. When asked to inspect the house, she claimed the caretaker was unavailable. She later admitted that the pharmacy did not exist.
The complainant, realizing the deception, reported the case to the police on January 22, 2025. Investigations revealed that the house at Dansoman was only available for short-term rentals and was never purchased for the complainant. Furthermore, police found no evidence of a demolished house at the Ablekuma-Joma location Koranteng had pointed out as the complainant’s property.
Koranteng was arrested on January 23, 2025, and is now facing trial for her alleged fraudulent activities. The court proceedings will determine the outcome of the case as the prosecution continues its investigation.
