American charged for fraud

Forster Moore, an American who paraded himself as a lawyer and farmer to defraud a student of GH?7,000 under the pretence of securing him a U.S Visa was on Wednesday arraigned at an Accra Circuit Court.

The accused has been charged with forgery and defrauding by false pretence contrary to section 131 of Act 29/60.

Moore, who pleaded not guilty to the charges has been remanded into police custody to re-appear on February 18, 2013.

Chief Inspector Barnabas O. Yeboah told the court that the complainant was a student who resided at Dansoman while the accused who claimed to be an American citizen, lawyer and farmer also lived at East Legon.

The prosecution said in June 2012, the accused introduced himself to the complainant and his father as an agent to many American NGOs that are undertaking series of developmental projects in Ghana to assist students travel abroad to work.

He said the accused managed to collect the complainant’s passport and GH?6,000 with a promised to secure him the U.S visa within two weeks.

Chief Insp Yeboah said the accused informed the complainant that he posted his passport to the American Embassy but it got missing during the processing of documents.

He said the accused collected additional GH?1,000 from the complainant and promised to secure him a new passport.

Chief Insp Yeboah said on January 30, 2013, the accused paraded the complainant and three others in front of the American Embassy without the complainant’s new passport.

The prosecution said the complainant became suspicious of the accused and realized that the entire documents including Ecobank’s U.S Visa MRV Fee Payment slip he was holding were forged and altered with blue ink.

Chief Insp Yeboah said with the help of people around, the accused was arrested and handed over to the Police and during investigations the accused admitted the offence.