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The Managing Director of Meklloyds Limited (an Accra-based company), Emmanuel Mainoo, has appeared in court for allegedly duping three persons to the tune of GH�28,800 under the guise of selling some plots of land to them. Mainoo, who is facing three counts of defrauding by false pretence before the Agona Swedru Circuit Court, reportedly swindled one Abraham Sarpong of GH�5,000. His two other alleged victims were identified as Lawrence Quarcoo and Modesta Kumi, who were made to part with GH�20,000 and GH�3,800, respectively. Mainoo�s plea was not taken and the court adjourned the case. The court was presided over by Mr Yaw Atta Sampong, the presiding judge of the Akyem Swedru Circuit Court doing additional duties. Chief Inspector Ivy Agadia, the prosecutor, said Sarpong was a member of staff of Zoomlion Ghana Limited at Kasoa. According to the prosecutor, somewhere in 2012, Sarpong heard of Mainoo�s company selling plots of land at the Millenium City, Kasoa, and decided to acquire one, and therefore, contacted the company�s agent, one Wisdom Amenson, who took him to the site for inspection. The prosecutor said Sarpong showed interest and paid GH�5,000 for one plot of land, after which he (Sarpong) informed his two colleagues, Quarcoo and Kumi, about the transaction and they also expressed interest. Mainoo, therefore, sold four plots of land to Quarcoo at the cost of GH�20,000 and one plot to Kumi for GH�3,800. Chief Inspector Agadia added that Sarpong was stopped by the actual owner of the land from developing the piece of land. Sarpong then informed Mainoo who gave him another piece of land at a different location, but that also turned out to be the property of another developer. Chief Inspector Agadia said Sarpong, therefore, demanded a refund of his money. Quarcoo, for his part, started developing the land but the foundation he laid was demolished by some people who claimed ownership of those plots of land. The prosecutor said when Quarcoo informed Mainoo, he did nothing about it. Modesta, on the other hand, took the trouble to conduct a search on her purchased plot at the Lands Commission in Cape Coast where it turned out that her plot was the property of the 21st Century Construction Company Limited. According to Chief Inspector Agadia, Mainoo has so far refunded only GH�2,500 out of the total of GH�28,800 he collected from the three complainants.