Nurse defrauded of GH¢100,000 in fake New Zealand visa deal

A 45-year-old self-acclaimed businessman, Foster Keelson, has been remanded into police custody after pleading guilty to charges of defrauding a nurse of GH¢100,000 under the guise of securing him a visa and air ticket to New Zealand.

The accused, who resides in Weija, allegedly took advantage of Agyemang Duah Aikins, a nurse based in Amasaman, by promising to facilitate his travel to New Zealand, in search of better opportunities.

Keelson is currently standing trial at the Dansoman Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, on charges of defrauding by false pretence.

According to court documents, Aikins approached Keelson in early May 2025 with the intention of traveling abroad for greener pastures.

Keelson, claiming he could assist with the visa process, demanded and received GH¢60,000 on May 5, 2025 as part payment of an agreed GH¢70,000 visa fee.

The following day, he requested an additional GH¢40,000 – GH¢30,000 purportedly for an air ticket and GH¢10,000 as the remaining visa fee.

Keelson later met Aikins at Weija, where he showed him a soft copy of a purported New Zealand visa on his phone and sent the same via WhatsApp.

He assured Aikins that his ticket would soon be ready. However, what followed was a string of failed promises and fraudulent flight arrangements. On May 5, Keelson instructed Aikins to meet him at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to travel via Air Maroc, but failed to show up.

Similar incidents occurred on subsequent days, involving promises of travel via Turkish Airlines and later Ethiopian Airlines. Aikins, increasingly suspicious, verified the authenticity of the documents and discovered that both the visa and tickets were fake.

Despite repeated attempts to recover his funds, Keelson continuously failed to refund the money. On May 18, after being deceived a third time at the airport, Aikins reported the matter to police. Keelson was later arrested from his hideout.

Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder, leading the prosecution, told the court that investigations have been extended to the Ghana Immigration Service and Ethiopian Airlines to verify the documents in question.

The court has adjourned the case to June 2, 2025 and has instructed the prosecution to expedite its investigation.

Keelson remains in custody as the probe continues.

The post Nurse defrauded of GH¢100,000 in fake New Zealand visa deal appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.

Read Full Story