Businessman Granted Bail in GH¢20,000 Visa Fraud Case

A 70-year-old businessman, Adams Afful, has been arraigned before the Dansoman Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding Lantana Sani, a trader, of GH¢20,000 in a visa scam.

Afful has denied the allegations but has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢30,000 with two sureties—one of whom must be a public servant earning not less than GH¢2,000, while the other must be justified. The court also ordered him to deposit his Ghana Card with the court registry.

The accused is facing a charge of defrauding by false pretense, contrary to Section 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29). The case, prosecuted by Chief Inspector Portia Nuarko, has been adjourned to March 28, 2025. The court has further directed the prosecution to file all disclosures and witness statements before the next hearing.

Case Background

According to the prosecution, the complainant, Lantana Sani, a trader residing at New Fadama in Accra, was introduced to the accused through a mutual acquaintance, Eric Nyame.

In November 2023, Nyame informed Sani that Afful had a daughter in the United States who needed someone to take care of her children. Sani, who also has a daughter, expressed interest in the opportunity.

In January 2024, Afful allegedly accompanied Sani’s daughter, Suwad Bawa, to the U.S. Embassy to initiate her visa application. The process resulted in an interview date set for October 9, 2024.

However, Afful reportedly assured the complainant that he could influence the date and have it scheduled earlier, claiming he had connections at the embassy. Based on this, he allegedly demanded GH¢20,000, which the complainant provided.

After receiving the money, the accused failed to fulfill his promise and became unresponsive to the complainant’s attempts to retrieve her funds. Following multiple unsuccessful efforts, Sani reported the matter to the police, leading to Afful’s arrest. During investigations, Afful allegedly admitted to the offense and promised to refund the money within a month—a promise he failed to honor.

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