Samuel Issah Abdulai, a 28-year-old driver who was nabbed on his wedding day for fraud, has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
Abdulai is alleged to have collected GH₵352,000 from three complainants under the pretext of securing visas for them but failed.
The accused promised to secure electronic visas for Mongolia, Georgia, Albania, and Malaysia.
Charged with three counts of defrauding by false pretenses and forgery of documents, Abdulai has pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mr. Samuel Bright Acquah, has admitted the accused to bail in the sum of GH₵150,000 with three sureties, one to be justified.
The accused person was ordered by the court to report to the police once every two weeks.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Daniel Danku, said the complainants were Ohenewa Sarah and Matilda Ayaaba, both traders, and Aisha Ahmed, a businesswoman, all residing in Accra.
Chief Inspector Danku said Abdulai resides at Nkawie in the Ashanti Region.
The prosecution said that between the months of September and December 2024, the accused person and his accomplice, one Antwi, posted advertising fliers on the internet soliciting persons interested in traveling to countries such as Belarus, Andorra, Albania, and Malaysia for work.
At that time, the accused person claimed to be in Belarus.
The court heard that the accused was later contacted by the three complainants on different occasions, and he convinced them that he could help them acquire various visas to the above-mentioned countries.
The prosecution said Abdulai then demanded and collected cash in the sum of GH₵47,000 from Sarah Ohenewa, the first complainant; GH₵55,000 from Matilda Ayaaba, the second complainant; and GH₵250,000 from the third complainant, Aisha Ahmed, who also collected money from eleven persons.
The prosecution said Abdulai, after collecting the money via his mobile money number bearing his name, went into hiding.
The court heard that somewhere in December 2024, Abdulai surfaced and sent some documents he claimed were electronic visas to the complainants via WhatsApp.
The prosecution said the complainants suspected foul play and started looking for the accused person.
The court heard that the complainants and other persons believed to be victims of the accused person arrested Abdulai at his wedding ceremony at Nkawie in the Ashanti Region and handed him over to the police at Teshie.
“Further checks on the electronic visas at the Immigration DFEC Unit revealed that all the visas were fake,” the prosecution said.
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