A 70-year-old businessman, Adams Afful, has been arraigned before the Dansoman Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding a trader under the pretense of influencing an earlier U.S. visa interview date.
Afful, who pleaded not guilty to the charge of defrauding by false pretence, is accused of collecting GH¢20,000 from one Lantana Sani with a promise to expedite her daughter’s U.S. visa interview appointment—claims later found to be untrue.
He has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢300,000 with two sureties, one of whom must be a public servant and the other justified.
The court, presided over by Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, also directed the accused to deposit his Ghana Card with the court registry.
Chief Inspector Portia Nuarko, prosecuting, has been instructed to file all necessary disclosures and witness statements ahead of the next hearing.
Case Background
According to the prosecution, the complainant, Lantana Sani, a trader residing in New Fadama, was introduced to the accused by his close friend, Eric Nyame. In November 2023, Afful claimed he had a daughter in the U.S. with two children and was looking for someone to assist in caring for them. Lantana expressed interest on behalf of her daughter, Suwab Bawa.
In January 2024, Afful accompanied the complainant’s daughter to the U.S. Embassy and helped her secure a visa interview appointment set for October 9, 2024. Claiming the date was too far off, he told the complainant he could use his connections to bring the interview forward for a fee.
Believing his claim, the complainant gave Afful GH¢20,000. However, after collecting the money, Afful failed to fulfill his promise and subsequently became unreachable. Repeated efforts to recover the funds were unsuccessful.
A report was lodged with the police, and the accused was later arrested. During interrogation, Afful admitted receiving the money and promised to refund it within a month, a promise he failed to honor. He was later charged and put before the court.
