Another MP In Trouble ...Over Visa Fraud

A Member of Parliament is in hot waters as the Nima District Crime Officer is breathing down his neck to produce an alleged fraud suspect who was apprehended at the Kotoka International Airport recently while attempting to flee the country for the United States of America.

Investigations conducted by The Heritage found that the alleged fraudster, who is the father of the MP, has since last year been collecting various sums in US dollars from innocent youth from Assin-Fosu in the Central Region, who in pursuit of their desire to seek greener pastures in the USA, ended up being defrauded.

The Heritage sources revealed that the NPP MP, Mr. Kennedy Agyapong (Assin North), stood surety for his father, Mr. Thomas Agyapong, who plies his trade as a U.S. Visa Lottery contractor, after he was arrested at the airport. Mr. Agyapong Snr allegedly collects at least $200 from each person interested in the US Visa lottery before filing thousands of applications for them.

After each draw, The Heritage gathered, he demands and collects $600 dollars each from those who he filed for, regardless of whether one won or not.

The Heritage sources disclosed that when the names of the winners are published, he would then change the pictures on the original list, replace them with new ones and collect $6,000 from each of his new victims.

The forgery and extortion, according to our investigations, have allegedly been going on for several years.

Since everything that has a beginning has an end, his cup became full on Monday, September 15, 2003 when some of his victims alerted the Nima District Crime officer that he was about to abscond.

He was then arrested at the Kotoka airport minutes before his flight to the United States of America.

As blood is thicker than water, when the MP heard of his father’s arrest, he quickly rushed to the Nima Police Station where, according to our investigations, some of his father’s victims were refunded part of the monies said to have been extorted from them.

Sources at the Nima Divisional Crime office confirmed the story and said Mr. Agyapong Snr. was allowed to embark on his business trip to the US, following the intervention of the MP, who bailed his father.

However, when the Honourable MP was contacted he initially declined to comment on the story, but later said: "It is a matter between my father and the police. Please leave me out of it."

The Ghanaian Chronicle on Monday and yesterday reported the case of an MP who had used the facilities of Parliament and sworn judicial statements for visa racketeering which had been discovered by one of the embassies.

Mr. Agyapong’s situation is totally different, as he only did his duty to his father, who had got into problem with the law