Businessman in court over alleged $13,500 visa fraud
A businessman, who allegedly took $13,500 from two persons under the pretext of securing them Nicaragua and Mexican visas, but failed to honour his promise, appeared before the Accra Circuit Court.
Mr Nganyu Billy Nfor, 36, accused, pleaded not guilty to defrauding by false pretence.
The court presided over by Mr Isaac Addo granted Nfor GH¢120,000.00 bail with two sureties to accused.
The court directed Nfor to deposit his passport at the Court Registry, and adjourned the case to September 16, 2024.
Prosecution, led by Assistant of Police (ASP) Kofi Anane, said that the complainant, Nih Etheldreda Ayeah, and the accused, were Cameroonians living in Ghana.
The court heard that in June, 2023, the complainant, who was working in Cameroon as a bank cashier, wanted to travel to Nicaragua.
ASP Anane said the cashier discussed her intentions with her elder sister’s husband Tange Maurice Mth, living in the United States of America.
The prosecution said Mth introduced accused to complainant on the phone as a Cameroonian travel agent based in Ghana, who could assist.
ASP Anane said the accused told the complainant that he had helped a lot of Cameroonians to travel abroad from Ghana and could assist her also to travel to Nicaragua at the cost of $5,500.
The court heard that “the said amount was paid to the accused in two tranches by the complainant’s in-law on her behalf.”
ASP Anane said the accused later invited the complainant to come to Ghana from Cameroon for the necessary travel preparations to Nicaragua as all documents were ready.
The prosecution said the accused did not show the Nicaraguan visa to the complainant, but promised her three days to give her the requisite documents to her destination.
ASP Anane said that in September 2023, the accused told the complainant that there was a problem with the route to Nicaragua so he would secure a Mexican visa for her to travel to Mexico instead.
The prosecution said the accused collected additional $8,000 USD, but still failed to deliver the visa.
ASP Anane said the case was reported to police and the accused was arrested.
The court heard that accused admitted receiving a total amount of GH¢108.000 00 which was equivalent to $13,500 from Tange Maurice Mih on behalf of the complainant.
ASP Anane said “he further claimed that the said amount was used to procure travel documents for the complainant, however, he could not produce any document to substantiate his claim.”
The prosecution said investigations revealed that there was no genuine travel package for the complainant. —GNA
