Tarkwa: A 50-year-old unemployed woman, Benedicta Kwakye, also known as Esi Mary, was sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labor by the Tarkwa District Court Two after pleading guilty to defrauding seven individuals. The court, presided over by Mr. Isaac Osei Asare, ruled that the sentences for each count of fraud would run concurrently.

According to Ghana News Agency, the case was prosecuted by Police Sergeant Adwoa Yeboah, who detailed that the complainant, Rebecca Kwofie, a trader residing in Cyanide, Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, was seeking to rent a room in April of this year. Benedicta approached Rebecca, offering a room at GHS70.00 per month, and subsequently showed her a room in her house, claiming it was available for rent.

Sergeant Yeboah explained that Rebecca, satisfied with the room, agreed to a three-year lease and paid Benedicta GHS2,500 as an advance. However, Benedicta requested three weeks to prepare the room, a promise she failed to fulfill. Persistent follow-ups by Rebecca led her to meet the actual landlord, who informed her that the room was already occupied.

Rebecca attempted to retrieve her money from Benedicta, who avoided her calls. On July 8, 2025, Rebecca discovered that Benedicta was in custody at Tarkwa Central Police Station for a similar offense. She identified Benedicta as the person who defrauded her and filed a formal complaint.

Further investigations by the police uncovered that Benedicta had deceived six other individuals with the same fraudulent scheme. Benedicta claimed that the funds obtained from her victims were invested in trading and subsequently stolen while she was in Accra to purchase goods.