Immigration Officer in Court for alleged GH¢ 31,000 fraud

The trial of an immigration officer, who is alleged to have defrauded a Sunyani-based teacher of GH¢ 31,000.00 commenced on Tuesday at the Sunyani Magistrate Court ‘A’ presided over by Mr Jojo Hagan.

The accused, Justice Amissah-Baiden, 39, stationed at Aflao in the Volta Region made his fourth appearance before the court on a charge of defrauding by false pretence and the case was adjourned to Tuesday, July 27, 2017.

Amissah-Baiden pleaded not guilty to the charge in his first appearance on January 11, 2017, but was granted bail by the court in the sum of GH¢ 50,000.00.

Chief Inspector John A. Kwachie, the Prosecutor had earlier told the court that the accused took the amount through his account with the number 70110101156807 at the Ghana Commercial Bank, Sunyani main branch from the complainant, one Stephen Elolo with the pretext of giving him three saloon cars, two Mercedes Benz and a Toyota Corolla in 2012.

He said the accused who was then stationed at the Brong-Ahafo Regional office of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in Sunyani brought one Mercedes Benz vehicle with the registration number GT5141-12 but was intercepted by a patrol team of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority that it did not have proper documents.

Chief Inspector Kwachie said when accused was informed about the incident, he promised to make proper documentations to cover it and also ensure that the other two vehicles would be delivered to the complainant.

But the accused failed to fulfil his promise and was not even heard of again until the complainant later learnt of his transfer to Aflao, the Prosecutor said.

He said efforts to reach the accused through phone by the complainant proved futile and so he reported the matter to the Sunyani Police for investigations.

Chief Inspector Kwachie said the Police then sent a letter to the authorities of GIS at Aflao to produce the accused person to assist in their investigations in an alleged fraud case and was consequently put before the court.