Accra: A 34-year-old lawyer, Divine Effah-Dartey, along with two others, faced the Accra Circuit Court on charges related to defrauding a businessman in an alleged fraudulent excavator transaction. Effah-Dartey is alleged to have facilitated and advised on the sale, which involved an amount of GHS800,000.
According to Ghana News Agency, Effah-Dartey pleaded not guilty to the charge of abetment of crime, specifically defrauding by false pretences, and was granted police enquiry bail. The bail application was moved by his father, Captain (Rtd) Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey. Also facing the court were Mawuli Awadzi Amenyo, a 49-year-old carpenter, and Jiang Tao, a warehouse manager. Amenyo, charged with conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretences, pleaded not guilty. His alleged accomplice, Rishan Mahanta, is reportedly at large and faces an additional charge of forgery of documents. Jiang was charged with abetment of crime and granted police enquiry bail, while Amenyo received bail amounting to GHS400,000 with two sureties, one of which must be justified.
The case, presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah, has been adjourned to January 23, 2026. Leading the prosecution, Detective Chief Inspector Abel Amanie reported that the complainant, Mr Kofi Boateng, a businessman from Asankragwa in the Western Region, was approached in September 2025 by Richard Amankwah, who informed Amenyo that Boateng was interested in purchasing an excavator for rental purposes. Amenyo allegedly introduced Boateng to Mahanta, claiming Mahanta dealt with importing and selling excavators.
On October 1, 2025, Boateng and others, including Amankwah, traveled to Accra to meet Amenyo and Mahanta. Amenyo led them to Caitec Delta Limited, where Mahanta showcased a fleet of excavators, claiming ownership. Jiang, a warehouse manager, allegedly provided an ignition key for Boateng to test-drive an excavator to further cement the deception. Following the test drive, Boateng agreed to purchase a Sany hydraulic excavator for GHS1.7 million, making an initial payment of GHS800,000.
The prosecution revealed that Amenyo later took Boateng to the chambers of Nkrabeah and Associates, where Effah-Dartey assured Boateng that the payment could be deposited into Mahanta's bank account. Boateng paid GHS800,000 to Effah-Dartey at the law firm, receiving a receipt and a forged Import Declaration Form purportedly from the Ghana Revenue Authority.
However, the deal unraveled when Amenyo disappeared, leaving Boateng stranded. Boateng discovered that the excavator was not owned by Amenyo or Mahanta and, upon returning to the law firm, was told the money had been collected on Mahanta's behalf. Subsequent efforts to locate Amenyo and Mahanta failed, prompting a police complaint.
Amenyo was arrested on October 7, 2025, and during interrogation, allegedly admitted the offence, claiming the money was with Effah-Dartey. Effah-Dartey, however, said he had given the money to Mahanta, though investigations showed Mahanta was not a registered client of Nkrabeah and Associates.