Travel Agent remanded on fraud charge

One Patrick Amoah, a Travel Agent was on Monday remanded by an Accra Circuit Court for conspiring to commit crime to wit defrauding by false pretences.

Patrick was said to have conspired with one ‘Honourable’ to collect various sums of money amounting to GH¢48,700.00 from five persons, Kelvin Akerson Aggrey, Samuel Safo, Edith Adoko, Dennis Opoku and Eugene Boateng, under the pretext of securing them US visa’s.

Prosecuting Police Inspector A. Ofori-Amanfo said in March 2014, the fraud detection unit of the United State of America (USA) consulate detected that some of the visa applications, seeking to travel to the USA, report at the consulate to take their biometric data but leave the embassy premises with their passports without meeting the consular to complete the interview procedure.

He said this prompted the consular to inform the police to investigate the reason behind this weird behavior of some of the visa applicants.

He said the police begun investigation and intelligence gathered was that, a syndicate led by a man with an assumed name of ‘Honourable Kwabena Owusu, who claims to work at the Ministry of Finance was the person behind the fraudulent act.

The prosecution said the syndicate placed advertisement on various print and electronic media with different assumed names that they are capable of acquiring a US and Canadian visa for prospective travelers.

He told the court that by this false representation, they deceived their victims to pay various sums of monies into bank accounts which were also opened with fictitious names.

After they have received the monies, the syndicate directs their victims to the American embassy to commence the visa processing but caution them not to go for the actual interview but leave the premises and return their various passports to them.

Police Inspector Ofori-Amanfo said a few days later, the said “Honourable” and his accomplices would issue a fake USA visa in the name of the applicant and demand more money.

He told the court that through this false representation, the syndicate in March this year lured Kelvin to part with an amount of GH¢40,000.00 for seven people he had wanted to assist to travel to the USA.

According to the prosecution the passports were received by the accused person, Patrick, but none of the members of the syndicate were seen again.

He said in October, the said Hounourable used the same fraudulent means to collect an amount of GH¢8, 700.00 from Samuel, Edith, Denis and Eugene, who joined the programme through the advert they saw on Kessben and UTV.

He said on October 15, the above mentioned individuals presented themselves at the American Embassy for the said protocol visa but they were handed over to the police for investigation.

Police Inspector Ofori-Amanfo told the court that through the assistance of Samuel, the accused person was arrested in Obuasi, and upon interrogation, hinted that he was sent by “Honourable.”