The Adentan Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Sedinam Awo Kwadam, acquitted Wilberforce Francis Mensah, a steel bender, of two charges of defrauding by false pretence on Thursday, August 22, 2024. Mensah had been accused of obtaining GH¢12,000 from Francisca Dosu and GH¢11,350 from Sandra Tetteh under the guise of securing them positions within the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).
The court’s decision left one of the complainants, Dosu, in tears, as she had been unable to recover her money from her former partner. The court ruled that the prosecution had failed to substantiate the charges against Mensah, stating that a conviction based on the evidence presented would have been unjust.
The prosecution did not provide concrete evidence, such as documents or text messages, to support its claims, and the court dismissed the charges as based merely on “romantic conversations.” The court observed that Mensah had engaged in romantic relationships with both complainants and had falsely promised to help them gain entry into the GIS despite being fully aware that he was only a steel bender.
However, the court asserted that such promises made within the context of a relationship could not serve as grounds for conviction, adding, “In relationships, men give money, and women also give money.” The court criticized Mensah’s conduct, noting that he had taken advantage of the women, though it acknowledged that this behavior, in itself, was not criminal.
Mensah, who had spent over a year in custody despite being granted bail by the court, expressed his intention to work and repay the money to the complainants. The prosecution informed the court that Mensah had confessed to collecting money from both women in his caution statement, but the court ultimately found him not guilty due to lack of concrete evidence.
