A 32-year-old man, Abdul Munaf Lawal, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison with hard labour by the Asokwa Circuit Court in Kumasi for multiple counts of defrauding by false pretences.
Lawal, who posed as a currency merchant, failed to convert $50,000 into Ghana cedis after receiving the funds from a client.
On July 27, 2023, Lawal collected the $50,000 under the agreement but vanished, prompting a police investigation. He was arrested in Accra on June 27, 2025, for a similar offence and transferred to the Ashanti Regional Police Command for the Kumasi case.
Presided over by Judge Fred Obikyere at Asokwa Circuit Court 1, Lawal initially pleaded not guilty and was remanded. On September 3, 2025, he changed his plea to guilty. The prosecution revealed a prior 24-month sentence for stealing, influencing the harsh penalty.
Sentencing occurred on September 10, 2025, with the court emphasizing the severity of financial crimes and Lawal’s history.
