Court dismisses charges against UG lecturer, 2 students in GH₵106K accommodation scam

An Accra Circuit Court has dismissed charges against three individuals accused of defrauding 32 University of Ghana students of GH₵106,800 through a fake accommodation scheme at Dr Hilla Liman Hall.

Judge Isaac Addo struck out the case following a formal request from the University of Ghana to discontinue proceedings.

The decision came after the two student defendants fully refunded the money to police, who were ordered to return the funds to all affected students.

The defendants in the accommodation fraud case were:

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• Joseph Appiah, 25 (student)

• Stephen Nimako Ansong, 24 (student)

• Dr Kwadwo Owusu Ayeh, 58 (Senior Hall Tutor at Dr Hilla Liman Hall)

All three faced charges of conspiracy and 32 separate counts of obtaining money by false pretences.

The two students also faced charges of abetting crime, while Dr Ayeh was separately charged with corruption as a public officer.

Each defendant had secured bail of GH₵100,000 with one surety after denying the charges.

The fraud investigation began when Professor Gordon Awandare, the university's Pro Vice-Chancellor, contacted Accra Regional Police Command on October 17, 2023. His complaint alleged fraudulent activities in the allocation of beds and rooms at Dr Hilla Liman Hall.

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Police investigations revealed that 32 students had fallen victim to the scheme, paying between GH₵2,000 and GH₵2,500 each for accommodation at Dr Hilla Liman Hall that was never provided.

The investigation was conducted by the Accra Regional Criminal Investigations Department under Chief Superintendent Emmanuel Osei-Agbogah.

Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer told the court that investigations uncovered a coordinated operation where Dr Ayeh allegedly worked with Ansong to identify students needing accommodation.

Ansong then brought in Appiah to help collect payments from students seeking rooms at the hall.

The scheme netted a total of GH₵106,800, with Ansong initially returning GH₵30,000 before the full amount was recovered.

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With the University of Ghana withdrawing its complaint and all funds returned to victims, the court formally discharged the three defendants and closed the case.

This incident serves as a warning to University of Ghana students to only make accommodation payments through official university channels to avoid similar fraudulent schemes.

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