Yaw Larbi, 39, a farmer, was on Tuesday arraigned before the Kade District Magistrate Court for defrauding a firewood seller.
He pleaded not guilty with explanation and was remanded in police custody to reappear on July 23.
Larbi was said to have collected GHC 250 from the complainant to supply her with firewood, but after cutting the wood, he sold it to another person.
Police Inspector Francis Cobbina, prosecuting, told the court presided over by Mr E. A. Awuah that the complainant was a dealer in firewood who bought them in bulk and sold to the public.
He said about 14 months ago, one James, led Larbi, a farmer, resident at Awerensua to the complainant, where the accused introduced himself as a farmer with a lot of firewood in a cocoa farm.
It was then agreed that Larbi should supply the complainant with firewood to the tune of GHC 480 for which an initial payment of GHC 250 was
made.
The prosecution said the balance was to be paid on supply of the firewood but Larbi after receiving the amount harvested the firewood and
sold it to another person.
When the firewood was not forth- coming, the complainant started demanding her money back through calls on her mobile phones, but the accused
changed his sim card making it difficult for the calls to go through.
The prosecutor said James later assisted the complainant to arrest Larbi after the woman had threatened to get him arrested for introducing a
fraudster to her.
In his explanation, Larbi said he employed some boys to harvest some firewood but after doing so, they sold them without his knowledge.
The magistrate, Mr E. A. Awuah, ordered that James should be brought to court on the next adjourned date, July 23.