Swedru businessman jailed for visa fraud

Agona Swedru, Nov 28, GNA - The Agona Swedru Circuit Court has jailed Amos Baiden, a Swedru based businessman for three years in hard labour for visa fraud.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge of defrauding under the pretext of securing visas for the Managing Director (MD) of Rings Travel and Tour Company Limited also based at Swedru. Detective Chief Inspector R.A. Boamah, told the court presided over by Mr Charles Adjei Wilson, that in 2004, the accused approached complainant and introduced one Yaw Awusi to him as his brother working as a Secretary to the Special Assistant to the President at the Castle, in Accra.

He said he told the complainant that he Awusi could easily secure travel visas for the complainant's clients and based on the assurance Awusi succeeded in collecting 338,575,000.00 cedis from the complainant under the pretext of obtaining visas for him for his clients. Detective Chief Inspector Boamah said later Awusi brought three faked visas but managed to escape before the deal could be detected by Nana Ekow Arhin. He stated that Awusi had since not been seen or heard of.