A Hohoe Circuit court on Wednesday convicted Nicholas Dzaka, unemployed, to 15 months' jail term for defrauding one Belinda Azialey of 800 cedis by false pretence.
Mr David Apenkwa, who presided, advised the complainant to institute civil action against the convict if she intended to recoup his money.
Mr Samuel Gbedemah, Police Chief Inspector, told the court that Dzaka defrauded Belinda under the pretext of securing her a plot of land in March 2009.
He said Dzaka received 800 cedis out of the 1,100 cedis as advance payment of the cost of the building plot in a suburb of Hohoe after releasing the site plan and original receipt to Belinda.
Mr Gbedemah said the convict later retrieved the site documents from her under the pretext of making photo copies but failed to return them.
He said Belinda noticed that pillars used in demarcating the plot had been replaced and began looking for the convict but to no avail.
Mr Gbedemah said the convict refunded only 300 Ghana cedis out of the 800 cedis and promised to pay the balance by September 31, 2009 but went
into hiding until he was arrested at Tsawenu near Anyirawase in the Ho Municipal area.