Three accused of visa fraud on GH¢2 million bail

The Accra Circuit Court Eleven has granted three persons a GHC2 million bail with three sureties each over an alleged USD132,490.00 visa fraud.

The Court presided over by Madam Halima El-Alawa Abdul Baasit ordered that two of the sureties, Nana Ama Asare, trader, Cosmos Wosor, driver and Albert Abutey, aluminium fabricator, be justified with a landed property.

Nana Ama has denied obtaining electronic payment mediums falsely as well as defrauding Madam Gloria Edem Quist Agbezuge, the complainant under the pretext of securing her a United States of America (USA) Visa as well as a USA Health Insurance Certificate.

Wosor and Abutey also denied aiding and abetting Nana Ama, her alleged accomplices to commit the crime.

The Court said all the accused persons should report to the police every two weeks and to return to the Court on March 8, 2023.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Emmanuel Nyamekye giving the account, said Madam Gloria, the complainant was a Ghanaian businesswoman and a resident of China whilst Nana Ama, trader and Wosor, driver, both lived at Spintex.

He said Abutey, an aluminium fabricator also lived at Nungua, all suburbs of Accra.

DSP Nyamekye said on March 25, 2021, the complainant reported to the Police that in 2019, she met Nana Ama in China and they became friends.

The Court heard that Nana Ama in her engagement with Madam Gloria told her (Gloria) that she was a resident of the USA and that she (Nana Ama) could assist her to secure an American Visa and an America Health Insurance Certificate to enable her (Gloria) to seek proper medical care.

The Prosecution said Nana Ama after arriving in Ghana, caused the complainant to transfer various sums of money to the tune of USD 132,490.00 to her under the pretext of securing her US Visa as well as the US Health Insurance Certificate.

DSP Nyamekye said Nana Ama provided Madam Gloria with her Ecobank account details as well as other mediums to send her the money to facilitate the processes.

She also provided the details of Wosor and again gave the account information of Abutey to receive part of the money from one Odette Abgezuke, a witness in the case on behalf of the complainant.

Following the failure of Nana Ama to honour her promise and the subsequent complaint to the police led to Abutey’s arrest on March 25, 2022, he said.

DSP Nyamekye said further investigations led to the arrest of Nana Ama and Wosor, where Wosor admitted having collected money from the said witness on five occasions but could only remember handing over USD5,020 to Nana Ama and claimed not to remember the remaining amount he collected.

Abutey, the Prosecution said also admitted having received GHC20,000.00 through his mobile money wallet, which he gave to Nana Ama.

DSP Nyamekye said Nana Ama admitted the offence and maintained that she only obtained USD62,000.00 from the complainant.

The police investigation also revealed that Nana Ama was not a resident of USA as claimed, he said, adding that investigation also confirmed the receipt of USD78,990.00 from the complainant under the pretext of securing her the US visa and health insurance certificate.