BY Nadia Ntiamoah
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has confirmed the conviction and sentencing of Abdul Munaf Lawal, a 32-year-old man, to 35 years imprisonment with hard labour for defrauding a victim of $50,000 under false pretenses.
The case dates back to July 27, 2023, when Lawal collected the amount from the complainant, promising to convert it to Ghana cedis, but failed to fulfill his part of the agreement and absconded.
Background
Lawal’s fraudulent activities came to light after the complainant reported the incident to the police.
Following extensive investigations, Lawal was arrested in Accra on June 27, 2025, in connection with a similar offence.
He was subsequently transferred to the Ashanti Regional Police Command for further investigations into the ongoing case.
Trial And Sentencing
Lawal was charged and arraigned before the Asokwa Circuit Court 1, presided over by Fred Obikyere.
Initially, he pleaded not guilty and was remanded into police custody pending trial.
However, on September 3, 2025, Lawal changed his plea to guilty.
The prosecution informed the court that Lawal had a prior conviction and had served a 24-month sentence for stealing.
The sentencing was deferred to September 10, 2025, when the court convicted Lawal and handed down the 35-year sentence.
