A 75-year-old pensioner, Nana Ampate, has been remanded into police custody by the Nsuta Circuit Court in the Sekyere Central District of the Ashanti Region after pleading guilty to charges of land fraud.
The order was issued on Monday, April 13, 2026, by the presiding judge, His Lordship Simon Nketiah Gagah.
Presenting the facts to the court, the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Kofi Amankwaah, said the complainant, Bright Ohene Fosu, a 59-year-old Ghanaian based in the United States and a native of Benim near Mampong, had engaged the accused in a land transaction in October 2024.
According to the prosecution, Nana Ampate, who is known in the area as the head of the Akyere Royal Stool Lands at Benim, offered to sell eight plots of land to the complainant for GH¢80,000.
The complainant and his wife, Marcy Ofosu, inspected the land and agreed to purchase it.
After acquiring the land, the complainant reportedly began clearing it for development.
However, work was halted when the Chief of Benim and his elders confronted him, claiming ownership of the same plots and stating that they had also purchased the land from the same accused person.
The complainant later reported the matter to the police on February 1, 2026, after attempts to resolve the issue with the accused proved unsuccessful.
Investigations revealed that the accused had allegedly resold the same eight plots to the Benim chief and elders for GH¢25,000. Police subsequently arrested him, and the crime scene was documented for evidence.
In his caution statement, Nana Ampate admitted collecting GH¢80,000 from the complainant before reselling the land to another party.
The complainant, who resides in the United States, has since granted power of attorney to his uncle to represent him in the case.
The court has ordered the accused to refund the money involved before the next hearing date, indicating it will be considered in sentencing.
The case has been adjourned to April 17, 2026, for conviction and sentencing.