Unemployed Nigerian in court for Fraud

An unemployed Nigerian on Monday appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding a German national of $7,000.00 under the pretext of securing a German visa and a passport.

Esther Ada Ebguna charged with defrauding by false pretenses has pleaded not guilty.

The court presided over by Mrs Jennifer Myles Ahmed, admitted Ebguna to bail in the sum of GH?35,000.00 with two sureties.

Ebguna is to deposit GH?8,000.00 as security to the court. She is to reappear on June 29.

Prosecuting Chief Inspector A. A. Afrifah said the complainant Ali Yilmaz is currently unemployed because of some ailments, whilst Ebguna, resides at Damfa near Aburi.

Chief Inspector Afrifa said in 2012, Yilmaz met one Jefferson Jessica on facebook, a social media platform, and they became friends. The said Jessica told the complainant that she was an American now living in Ghana and expressed interest in marrying him.

Due to the marriage proposal, the said Jessica asked the complainant to give her money to process her visa and passport.

The prosecutor said Jessica further told the complainant to send the money to one Abdul Aziz because she could not receive Western Union Money Transfer in Ghana.

Yilmaz send her $7,000.00 for the documentation but she was unable to visit the complainant in Germany after several attempts, so the complainant agreed to visit Ghana.

On May 18, this year, Yilmaz arrived in Ghana and asked Jessica to pick him up at the airport but no one showed up, and he (Yilmaz) decided to Lodge at the Royal Fiesta Hotel.

On May 20, this year, at about 14:00 hours Ebguna went to the hotel and introduced herself as Jessica Jefferson whom he had been chatting with.

Prosecution said Ebguna insisted she was Jessica despite Yilmaz assertion that the pictures he had did not look like her.

Chief Inspector Afrifah said Ebguna was arrested and during interrogation, she said she was contacted by one Kodjo who resides in the same vicinity to come and meet Yilmaz because he needed a woman to marry.

When the accused later took the police to where the said Kodjo lived, the house looked deserted.