A 34-year-old lawyer, Divine Effah-Dartey, has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for his alleged involvement in a fraudulent excavator transaction that cost a businessman GH¢800,000.
Effah-Dartey is accused of assisting two other suspects to trick a prospective buyer into paying GH¢800,000 as part payment for an excavator that was never legitimately owned by the sellers.
He has pleaded not guilty to a charge of abetment of defrauding by false pretence and was granted police enquiry bail after an application by his father, retired naval officer Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey.
Two other accused persons — Mawuli Awadzi Amenyo, a 49-year-old carpenter, and Jiang Tao, a warehouse manager — were also arraigned. Amenyo, who denied charges of conspiracy and defrauding by false pretence, was granted bail of GH¢400,000 with two sureties, one to be justified. Jiang Tao, facing abetment charges, was admitted to police enquiry bail.
A fourth suspect, Rishan Mahanta, is currently on the run and faces an additional charge of forgery.
Presiding judge Evelyn Asamoah adjourned the case to January 23, 2026.
Presenting the facts, Detective Chief Inspector Abel Amanie said the complainant, businessman Kofi Boateng from Asankragwa in the Western Region, was seeking an excavator for rental business. In September 2025, Boateng was introduced to Amenyo, who later connected him to Mahanta, claiming to be an excavator importer in Accra.
On October 1, 2025, Boateng and his associates travelled to Accra to inspect the machines. They were taken to the premises of Caitec Delta Limited, where Mahanta allegedly presented several excavators as his property. Jiang Tao reportedly handed over a key to allow Boateng test one of the machines, despite restricted access.
Convinced after the inspection, Boateng agreed to purchase a Sany hydraulic excavator valued at GH¢1.7 million and paid GH¢800,000 upfront. He was then taken to a Kaneshie law firm, where Effah-Dartey, introduced as Mahanta’s lawyer, allegedly received the cash, issued a receipt, and provided what prosecutors say was a forged Import Declaration Form purportedly from the Ghana Revenue Authority.
The prosecution said Amenyo later abandoned Boateng under the pretext of arranging transport for the excavator and cut off communication. Subsequent checks revealed neither Amenyo nor Mahanta owned the equipment, and Mahanta was not a registered client of the law firm.
Amenyo was arrested on October 7, 2025, and reportedly confessed to his role, claiming the money was handed to Effah-Dartey. Police investigations are ongoing as efforts continue to track down Mahanta.
The case is set to resume in January 2026.
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