Gold fraud case: Lankan remanded in Ghana

A Sri Lankan businessman has been hauled before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding his friend of $80,000 under the pretext of assisting him to buy gold in Ghana.

The accused person, Aruna Janaka Muthugama, who was on remand, was granted a GH›20,000 bail by Patience Mills Tetteh after he pleaded not guilty to a charge of defrauding by false pretences.

The accused is reported to have connived with some Ghanaian self-styled businessman who promised the complainant, R. Gedara Jayasundara, 5 kilograms of gold, but after receiving the money they went underground.

However, although Muthugama admitted to collecting the money from the complainant, he maintained that he had no intention of defrauding his friend, adding that he did not know the businessmen were fraudsters.