{
  "id": 9341554,
  "title": "Court jails mason 4 years for GH¢44,800 fraud",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/court-jails-mason-4-years-for-gh-44-800-fraud",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T13:25:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/court-jails-mason-4-years-for-gh%c2%a244800-fraud/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a 39-year-old mason, Francis Figah Agbey, to four years of hard labor imprisonment for defrauding a businesswoman of GH¢44,800. The victim, Madam Tina Asamoah, required seven tonnes of iron rods for a construction project at Adjen-Kotoku but never received the materials. Initially charged in November 2025, Agbey pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to guilty upon reappearing before the court on September 22. The court acknowledged his first-time offense but considered aggravating factors, including his decision to abscond in November 2025, necessitating a manhunt and re-arrest. The prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Beatrice Achiaa Appiah, stated that Agbey promised to procure the iron rods after collecting GH¢44,800 from the victim. He then disappeared, leaving the complainant to report him to the police. In his explanation, Agbey claimed he kept the money after the victim informed him of a bereavement, stating he could not find a secure storage facility for the rods. However, the court did not find his explanation a valid defense and convicted him accordingly.",
  "summary": "The Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a mason to 48 months' imprisonment with hard labour for defrauding a businesswoman of GH¢44,800 under the pretext of supplying seven tonnes of iron rods.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}